Mystery Music
by Cthepolkadots
Summary: A bunch of one shots based off the music from my favorite playlist. Most of these will be KevEdd, both regular and reverse. Not all of the chapters will be rated the same, so look for the individual ratings inside. Disclaimers inside as well.
1. Chapter 1

I have recently fallen in love with all of dshell99's Kevedd stories. After spending the last few months reading ALL OF THEM I decided to try my hand at writing a Kevedd fic based on a few of my favorite songs on my Sing Along playlist. The tentative goal is to do one fic for every song, but knowing my record for finishing a story once I start one I am going to take this one story at a time and make zero promises. (Please don't hate me!)

Here's the fun part for you guys! I won't tell you what song each story is based on. The title of the previous song will be at the beginning of the following story. Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments or just keep them to yourself and have fun trying to figure out how my brain turns music into fanfiction haha! I'll give a couple small hints: I was born in 1991 and raised on music from my parents generation (think BeeGees, Beatles, and ABBA), so I have quite the eclectic mix of genres and time periods that I enjoy. Good luck and happy guessing!

So without further ado, away we go!

This chapter is rated K+ for some language.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this except the plots I attempt to write.

* * *

It all started with a football game.

Peach Creek was having their last home game. Except it didn't have to be the last game. If they won, they would go on to the regional championship and the school hadn't been in over a decade. Now, the principal would never openly admit that he would bribe students to show up to the most important football game of his career, but almost every teacher in the school was offering extra credit if you went out to support the team and showed your ticket in class the next week. So naturally, 90 percent of the student body was in the stands that night. Most of the cul-de-sac kids would have been there anyway, to show their support for Kevin and Big Ed, but Double D arriving was a huge shock to Eddy. His parents didn't believe in any of that school spirit, show your pride nonsense.

"Sockhead! You're here!" Eddy gaped in amazement as Edd shyly walked towards the rest of the group.

"Yes, well, when I informed Mother and Father that the game this evening would provide enough extra credit to make up for the A- that I currently have in my AP English class they relented," he replied with a smile.

"Wait...You have an A- in English?"

"Of course not Eddy, but Mother and Father do not need to know that." Double D grinned and walked past Eddy to buy his ticket.

The short brunette stared after his friend incredulously before smirking and jogging to catch up. He clapped Edd on the back and chuckled, "I guess I've been a bad influence on you after all. Lying to your parents? That's got to be a first."

"You are correct, Eddy." Double D smiled back at his friend, "However, given the circumstances, I believe this one incident can be forgiven. I have not been to a school sporting event my entire high school career, it is an important social experience."

"Whatever you say, brainiac. The important thing is that you're here, and Nazz reserved us the best seats! Right on the 50 yard line where the cheerleaders line up." Eddy grinned and nudged Double D with his elbow.

"Need I remind you that we are here to support our friends and fellow classmates, not to gawk at the cheerleaders," Edd chided.

"Hey, they're our classmates too. I plan on letting them know just how much I support them," Eddy grinned again and headed off towards the bleachers. Edd followed with a sigh.

They made their way through the crowd to the center of the bleachers where the front row was taped off with a sign that said Reserved by Nazz in bright lettering. Rolf, Sarah, Jimmy, and Johnny were already sitting in the row. They waved as the two Eds approached and scooted down to make room. The group made small talk as they waited for the game to begin.

In the locker room, Kevin was dressed and ready to go. As the team captain, it was his job to keep the the boys calm and focused for the important game. The nervous energy in the room was building the closer it got to game time. Kevin was only a Junior, but he had the respect of everyone on the team. He had proven himself both on and off the field. Outside of the game, he was supportive and understanding. Due to this, the players felt that they could come to him for anything: relationship advice, help with school, troubles at home, and the team flourished because of his ability to step up and get what needed to be done, done. On the field, he was a force to be reckoned with. He could tell when they weren't trying as hard as they could, but he could also tell when something outside of the game was interfering with their focus. Tough, but fair. That was Kevin Barr.

Kevin scanned the room, taking in the player's shaking legs and twitching fingers. They were nervous. This game meant something. This game could define them. This game could ruin them.

Kevin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Steeling his own nerves, he jumped up on the bench, "Alright guys! Listen up!" The team gathered around him, the eyes staring up at him held a mixture of admiration and fear.

"I know you are all nervous, I'm nervous too. This game could be the biggest win for our school. This game could be the biggest win for our seniors." The seniors in the group smiled slowly at the idea of getting this win and going to regionals.

"This game could be a lot of things for all of us, but I don't want you to think about what could be. I want you to be thinking about what we know! We KNOW we currently have the best record this school as seen in over a decade! We KNOW that outside, waiting in the stands, our friends and families, classmates and teachers, _our community,_ are here to support us, win or lose! We KNOW that we can trust each other to make the plays, to score, to win! We KNOW we can win. _I_ know we can win. So let's go out there and WIN!"

The team cheered and banged on the lockers. Kevin checked their faces, all the nervous jitters were gone, replaced with hard determination. Nodding to the team, he jumped down from the bench, grabbed his helmet, and started to lead the way out of the locker room to the field. Win or lose, _this was it_.

As the two teams filed onto the field, the crowd cheered for their respective schools. Lemon Brook, the away team, had a sizeable turnout, but it couldn't compare to the standing room only turnout for the Peach Creek Cobblers. Kevin joined the other team captain center field for the coin toss; Peach Creek won the ball. They took their places and the game began.

60 nail biting minutes later, the game was tied at 42 apiece. Both teams were exhausted. Kevin couldn't feel his right arm anymore, except for the throbbing pain. He was also pretty sure he had bruises on most of this chest and back. Ed had left the field a few times for bandages for his forearms and shins, scraped against the ground or enemy players during tackles. The other team wasn't faring any better, with a few players even having to sit out for the remainder of the game. Neither team would relent, and they met at the line once again.

Edd and the other cul-de-sac kids sat on the edge of the bleacher just waiting for the few final plays to take place and seal the school's fate.

Throughout the game, Edd had been watching his two childhood companions battle their way up and down the field. He had researched some of the finer points of the game before coming to the football field. He knew that even if his presence was only for support, there was no reason that he should not be at least somewhat versed in the this point the Cobblers had possession on the third down. With how little time there was left, they really needed to score now or else they would risk Lemon Brook getting the ball and scoring with no time left to return to a tie. From what Edd had researched, now would be the time for a classic Hail Mary pass into the end zone and go for the win. However, judging from the way the Kevin had been nursing his arm the last 20 minutes, he really didn't think that the quarterback had it in him to make the play. He bounced his legs and stared at the team as Kevin attempted a fake to one player only to have a linebacker notice and tackle him before he could make the real pass down the field.

The crowd groaned and watched with worried eyes as Kevin slowly raised himself to his feet after the hit. He shook his head and sighed, looking at the clock to see they had only a minute to make the play of the century. The coach called a timeout and the team shuffled to the side line to get their orders. Edd watched as the coach pulled out the playbook and started instructing the players.

"They need to run the ball..."

"Did you say something Sockhead?" Eddy glanced at Edd.

"Oh. Umm… yes, actually. I believe now would be an excellent time to run the ball instead of attempting the Hail Mary pass. Kevin's arm is bothering him and even if it was not, our best receivers are currently sitting out with injuries. However, it seems that the coach wants to try for the pass. I am not sure why that is the strategy he is favoring." Edd shrugged.

"What makes you the expert on football all of a sudden?"

"Well, I was not going to come to the game without doing my due diligence to understand the sport. I spent most of yesterday afternoon reading up on the different play styles as well as reviewing our own playbook. I borrowed it from the coach under the pretext of laminating the pages in case of inclimate weather." Edd responded with a small huff. Had Eddy really expected him to be completely ignorant of the subject at such an important event?

"If you're so knowledgeable then maybe you should tell the team what to do instead of the coach." Eddy laughed and returned his attention to the red headed cheerleader he had been eyeing all evening.

Edd glared at Eddy for a second. He could never go down to the field and try to tell the coach what the best option was for the team. The man was known for being stubborn, some blamed his coaching style as the reason the school hadn't made it to regionals in so long. They were predictable, unchanging, and the call to make the daring pass at this point the game could be seen from miles away. Edd knew it, and so did the opposing team from the looks of glee in their eyes. They knew they were going to win.

Edd sighed at the thought of his schoolmates trudging through the halls come Monday morning. The usual rowdy jocks and bouncing cheerleaders with sad smiles and downcast eyes as people reminded them that "they did their best" and "win some lose some". The players would just nod, shrug it off like they always did after a hard loss. Eventually the team would get over it, move on to the next event, but Edd knew that there was one man who would silently brood over the loss for the rest of the semester. Those green eyes would never seem as happy as they had the days leading up to the game…

Edd stood suddenly and moved along the railing to where Nazz stood at the end of the cheer line. He waved his arms at her, "Nazz!"

"Double D?" She walked over to the other side of the railing, "What's up dude?"

"I need you to get a message to Kevin." Edd spoke quickly and as loudly as he dared.

"He's about to go on the field, it will have to wait until after the game." Nazz replied shaking her head.

"No. Now." Edd said firmly. "He incapable of throwing anymore, his arm is in shambles. He needs to run the ball, if he tries to throw it like the coach said the other team will intercept it and we will lose. They are not expecting him to run, they know how predictable our coach is. They are already planning for this, but if he takes off up the left side he can score before they know what happened."

Nazz paused for a second. She had never heard shy little Double D talk with such authority or have such a determined look on his face. She smiled up at him. "Alright dude. I'll see what I can do."

Edd sighed out in relief, "Thank you, Nazz."

Nazz hurried back to the field and pushed her way through the mass of football players to where Kevin was.

"Hey! You're not allowed over here young lady." The coach yelled at her as she finally reached the redhead. "You need to leave right now."

Nazz put on her best smile and turned to face the man, "Aww, come on Coach. I'm just here to give your star quarterback a little luck." She turned back to face Kevin and pulled him down to whisper in his ear. Laying out Edd's plan and reasoning quickly, she winked at him before planting a chaste kiss on his cheek and sauntering away. "Good luck boys!" She called over her shoulder.

The teens collectively blushed as they watched her retreat to the sideline. Then turned to grin knowingly at Kevin. Most had long suspected that the two were an item. Kevin always denied it, as the two were closer to siblings than love interests, but given the situation he decided to just shrug and smile at the team. Best to keep the mood light.

As they made their way back to lineup, Kevin quickly pulled his team into a huddle. "We're not going to do the pass." He spoke quickly, "I'm going to run it. I can't throw anymore. I've given it everything I have already. They'll never see this coming. Cover me on the left and let's take this home." Without waiting for a response he turned and headed to his spot to hike the ball.

Edd watched the exchange between his neighbors with worried eyes, but when Nazz got back to her spot she held her thumb up to him and smiled. He happily returned it and went back to his seat. _We're going to win._

Kevin called the play.

The ball was snapped.

Lemon Brook players rushed back in preparation for the pass that would never come.

Kevin ducked left and ran with all his might.

The air was hot around him as his feet pounded against the short grass. He could hear grunts and thuds from his right side as his team took out anyone attempting to get in his way. Ed appeared out of nowhere and launched himself at the last player running at Kevin. He was in the clear. Kevin closed his eyes as he ran the last five yards to the goal. _We're going to win._

The cheers of the crowd could be heard through the whole neighborhood as Kevin scored the winning touchdown. The people were on their feet screaming and celebrating the long awaited win. Classmates hugged, people were crying, the principal shook hands with teachers and district administration. Edd sat in content silence. He was grinning from ear to ear as he watched the team lift Kevin onto their shoulders and parade him around. Across the wide space the jock's eyes met the scholar's.

 _We won._

That night Edd sat up at his desk reading his latest book from the library. A small desk lamp illuminated the pages and a small, purple candle to his left flickered happily to the gentle breeze through the cracked window. He hummed lightly as he turned the pages, content with the outcome of the evening. A small clink at the window distracted him from his book. He looked over and out into the night. A small object hit the window with another clink. Edd placed the book on his desk and went to open the window. Looking down he saw Kevin rummaging through the planter on the side of the house.

When Kevin looked up again, he dropped the small rock he had fished out of the dirt and smiled up at Edd. "Hey."

"Good evening, Kevin. What are you doing here so late?"

Kevin averted his gaze and scratched at the back of his neck, "I...wanted to...ya know...come thank you in person. We were all so tired during that last play that I didn't even think about the fact that coach is so easy to read...woulda lost the game...if...ya know...you hadn't said something." Kevin raised his eyes back to the beanie clad teen and gave an embarrassed smile.

"Oh! There is no need to thank me Kevin. I was happy to help a fellow classmate. Besides, I wanted us to win as well." Edd chuckled.

"Well, it means a lot to the team that we won tonight. They're like my second family, so it means a lot to me too."

"Well then, you are welcome, Kevin."

The two stood in silence for a minute before both started to speak at the same time. They shared awkward laughter before Kevin motioned for Edd to go first.

Edd nodded shyly, "Would you...would you like to come up Kevin? It is getting cold and after all of the physical activity this evening I would imagine that your body is in a weakened state to fight any bacteria. Illness would be most unfortunate."

Kevin laughed aloud at the dork's logic, "Yeah, alright." He started to head to the front of the house.

Edd closed the window and hurried from his room and down the stairs. Taking a deep breath once he reached the front door, he exhaled as calmly as he could, grabbed the handle, and pulled it open. Kevin stood on the other side, hands deep in his pockets, a lopsided smirk on his face. "Fancy meeting you here Double Dork."

"I live here Kevin." Edd deadpanned back to the snickering redhead.

"Yeah, yeah." Kevin stepped around Edd and into the house, glancing around at the organized space and meticulously clean carpet.

"Shoes off please" Edd said as he closed the door.

"Your folks not home?" Kevin asked as he looked at the only other pair of shoes sitting in the entry way.

"No. Mother and Father left on a business trip a few weeks ago. They call everyday, but they will not be home for a while still."

Kevin raised his eyebrows and stared at Edd in surprise, "So you're here all alone?"

"For the time being."

"But who looks after the house? Cooks? Cleans? Pays the bills?"

"Well, I cook and clean while my parents are away, but they still pay for the necessary expenses of the house and keep the pantry stocked. They are extremely busy with work, so this sort of thing is normal."

Kevin just looked at him in silence. This wasn't the first time he had been in the dork's house. After the cul-de-sac had reconciled their differences in middle school the group had become quite close. They would often throw large parties at their houses during long weekends or summer break. Kevin was usually the favorite host, as his house had a pool, but Edd had hosted a couple of the get-togethers. They usually comprised of board games and movies with snacks that wouldn't stain the carpet if dropped. Not the most exciting of events, but it was a welcome break when everyone just wanted to chill out. This was, however, the first time that Kevin had heard that Edd's parents were not frequently around. He had always assumed they just worked during the day and would be home late, but if they never came home…

"Sounds lonely." Kevin said as his eyes met the smaller teen's.

"I-I-I...umm...I get along quite w-well, thank you." Edd sputtered out, breaking the eye contact and moving to go around Kevin into the living room. As he did he brushed against Kevin's right arm. The jock gasped quietly and hissed at the sudden contact with the overworked muscles.

"Oh! You must be horrible pain. Please, follow me." Edd hurried out of the room and up the stairs

"Uh...K…" Kevin followed the dork to his room. Edd instructed him to sit on the bed, while he searched through his desk drawers.

"Ah ha! Found it." Edd turned around proudly, holding a small bottle with what appeared to be lotion inside.

"What's that?" Kevin looked at the bottle warily. Lotion was harmless enough, but when Double D was involved this lotion was probably more than just lotion.

"It is a mixture of peppermint extract, aloe vera, eucalyptus, and lavender in a coconut lotion base. It is perfect for sore muscles. Trust me. I've used it many a time after dodgeball in gym class."

"Whatever you say dork." Kevin pulled at the base of his sweatshirt, lifting it over his head so he was only in a tight fitting white tank top. Edd blushed furiously at the sight at first, then noticed a splotch of purple on the jock's side peeking through the thin fabric. His eyes widened and reached out without thinking to lift the edge of the tank top to better inspect the bruise.

"Hey-" Kevin went to protest, but when Edd's hand gently touched at the sensitive skin he bit at his lip to hold in the gasp of pain that wanted to escape. The bruise stretched over his whole side, covering the right side of his ribs and shoulder blades. Smaller bruises were mixed in along his back and a twin to the large bruise was spreading over his left side as well. _Damaged, but beautiful_. Edd dropped his tank top, opening the bottle and squirted out a good portion into his hand.

"Y-you are going to have to take the tank top o-off too…" Edd looked away bashfully as he rubbed the lotion between his palms.

"...O.K." Kevin removed his shirt as he was told.

Edd set to work on Kevin's hand. Rubbing the lotion into the muscles at the pad of his thumb before moving up to his forearm. Edd massaged the area thoroughly with the lotion, before applying more to his palms and continuing on to Kevin's bicep. The jock had his eyes closed, tongue between his teeth as he tried to force his mind to focus on something other than the weird pleasure pain that his muscles were experiencing. Edd released his arm and hopped onto the bed so he was situated behind the jock. More lotion was applied to his shoulders and the muscled slope leading up to his neck. Kevin twitched whenever Edd came into contact with a particularly sore spot and in response Edd would apply steadily increasing pressure on the knot, massaging in small circles until the area relaxed. This continued over all of the abused muscles.

"There, I think that covers all of it." Edd smiled proudly as he closed the bottle and placed it back in the desk drawer. "If you let that sit, the peppermint will start to cool and relax the tension away and you won't be as sore tomorrow."

"Y-yeah...alright" Kevin reached out for his shirts and was surprised to find that movement was not as difficult as it had been a little bit ago. As he redressed he thought about all the help he had received from the dork tonight. He'd need to do something to repay him, but what would Edd want? Lost in his thoughts Kevin scanned the room for ideas. Everything in the room was labeled and organized. The book shelf was full and alphabetized by title. Edd's desk had file folders with different types of paper stacked inside, a cup for pencils, a cup for pens organized by color, the desk lap was angled to be perfectly centered on the desk, a book lay open in the middle, bathed in the light from the lap. The candle stood out from the rest of the desk. It flickered in the breeze from the window and the wax was pooled at the base, covering the surface of the tiny dish it stood in. It had melted enough to overflow a little on one side and was dripping on the desk top.

"What's with the candle Double D?"

Edd glanced at it briefly, "Hmmm? Oh, I made it to add some refreshing scent to the room. This one is lavender. Lavender is known for its relaxing properties. It is often used by those who have difficulty sleeping."

"Do you have difficulty sleeping?" Kevin asked.

Edd turned away from the jock to look back at the candle, "Sometimes." He replied softly, almost as if he didn't want to jock to hear. The two sat in silence a while longer, sharing in the calm moment.

"W-well, you should be getting home. I am sure your family is wondering where you are." Edd smiled as he stood to direct Kevin back downstairs.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Kevin stood as well and lead the way back to the front door. Kevin slipped his shoes back on as Edd opened the door for him.

"Have a good night, Kevin."

Kevin paused for a moment in the entry way. He turned to face the smaller teen. The redhead looked at Edd, and really looked at him for once. He was slight, not unhealthily thin, but he still looked like a good gust of wind would take him out. His beanie covered all the hair on his head, except for a few strands that slipped out around the edges. He was smiling slightly at Kevin, the gap in his teeth just barely peeking out under his lip. Skin so pale it looked translucent in the glow of the moon, and eyes as blue as the deepest parts of the ocean. But under those eyes were dark bags that revealed the true nature of the need for the candle. His smile didn't quite reach his cheeks. _Damaged, but beautiful._

Kevin reached out for the thin teen and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. Edd stiffened in his grasp, but relaxed enough to return the gesture. Kevin pulled away, "Thanks again, Double D."

"Of course, anytime."

With that Kevin turned on his heel and left. He jogged across the street to his house and turned at his driveway. Edd still stood at his door, he raised his arm and waved and Kevin happily returned it.

 _Beautiful._

The two boys quickly established a routine. After school, Edd would stop by football practice and use his now extensive knowledge of the game to help the players prepare for regionals. Then, Kevin would walk and talk with him back to the his house for homework. With the stress of the previous game, Kevin's grades had slipped, and they couldn't have the star quarterback suspended from games due to failing. On days when neither one had homework, they would watch a movie from Netflix. No matter the genre, one of them had something to criticize about the plot. Edd was a stickler for the correct use of science in any action or sci-fi movie that they watched. Kevin would always point out the ridiculousness of horror movies. "Why are you running that way! Run away from him, you moron!" This would reduce both boys to fits of giggles.

One day, Kevin arrived at Edd's house to find that there were several tall skinny jars on the table.

"What's up with all that?"

"Hmm?" Edd looked up at him, then followed his gaze to the table. "Oh, I need to make a few more candles this evening and those are the jars I use for holding the wax while I dip the candles."

"That's cool, dude. Want some help?" Kevin smiled down at his friend.

"Oh, no Kevin. You do not have to trouble yours-"

"It's no trouble. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help."

Kevin's smile was reassuring and had the small boy blushing lightly. "Very well. Then please take a candle with you when you leave, as a sign of my gratitude."

"Choice."

The two had such a wonderful time chatting while mixing and pouring wax everywhere; like when a small amount was flung from Kevin onto Edd's face, "An accident, I swear!" Kevin ended up leaving with two candles; a purple, lavender one just like Edd's, and a blue-green one that was a blend of scents that Edd swore would smell just like an apple orchard at the beach. Kevin put both candles on his window sill that night.

If the practice had been tough, Edd would apply the lotion to Kevin's tender muscles as they reviewed lessons. It was on one day after a particularly trying practice that Kevin had also needed some lotion on his thighs. His back and arms were one thing, but Edd was not willing to start rubbing his hands up and down the jocks legs. It was...embarrassing. So, after helping Kevin with his shoulders, he handed him the lotion for his sore legs. Not one for being shy, especially after spending the last several years changing and showering with an entire football team, Kevin stood and dropped his pants, revealing a pair of gym shorts.

Edd's hands and flown over his eyes as soon as Kevin started pulling at the zipper. He blushed furiously, "Good lord man! Don't strip here!"

"Relax, Dork. It's just a pair of shorts. I wear them under my jeans, so I can change quickly for practice." Though the idea of stripping in front of Edd was now on his mind, and he was also blushing. _Why am I worried about that? It's just Double D. We're both dudes._

The tension in the room wouldn't clear, not even after the boys watched the cringiest movie they could find. The laughter at the ridiculousness of the plot was mostly forced and while they would usually watch a couple movies, they kept it to just one that night and Kevin left early. Their usual hug at the door was more awkward than it had ever been before. Edd stood in the doorway, watching as Kevin jogged back across the street to his house. Their trademark wave at their doors was skipped.

Edd sighed and closed the front door again. He wandered around the living room cleaning up the leftover snacks and homework. He wiped down the coffee table and ran the vacuum over the carpet in front of the couch, just to make sure that no wayward particles of food were left. He put all the cleaning supplies back in the closet and started turning off the lights.

The moon came through the front window, illuminating the couch that he and Kevin had spent the last three weeks getting to know each other on. He smiled as the memories seemed to play as a slide show through his mind.

Laughing at movies.

Excited cheers as homework concepts _finally_ clicked.

Football plays sketched out on Edd's whiteboard.

Deep conversations on their very different lives.

Sweet, friendly hugs when those conversations just floated to an awkward end.

Edd's smile faded slightly at the sudden loneliness that the couch seemed to represent. Sure; Ed and Eddy would come over frequently and they would chat and laugh about everything and nothing, watch B-rated horror movies until they passed out, listen to Eddy gossip about the girls he was attempting to court, whatever they could think of in that moment. The three boys had been inseparable since Edd moved to the cul-de-sac as an elementary school student.

His parents had wanted a more calm environment for his young mind to develop in. That calm environment that they were so insistent upon soon stopped including themselves. As soon as Edd could be trusted to work the stove and feed himself the business trips started.

First it was only a few days.

Then a week.

Then two weeks.

At this point, it had been almost two months since he had seen his parents. They still called frequently and would send gifts from wherever they happened to be that week. Most of the time it was a book by an author who was from the city they were located in. Edd would always fall asleep clutching the new novel after reading well into the night. When they did come home, it was a huge celebration. They would catch up on life together, eat as a family, and usually go to a movie. Grades were checked and he was heavily praised for his consistent, outstanding academic results, and the house would feel like a home for a couple of days.

Yet right now, Edd stood in the house alone.

No Ed and Eddy.

No parents.

No Kevin.

He sighed and turned away from the couch to head upstairs and prepare for bed. Teeth brushed and pajamas on, he settled into bed and pulled his newest book from his side table. He adjusted his table lamp and lit his lavender candle, but the relaxing feeling of it just wouldn't stick. His mind restlessly turned with thoughts of his redheaded neighbor and his hasty departure from the house. It made his stomach tight. Why was it as awkward as it had been? He needed to know if he had any hope of sleeping tonight.

Edd got out of bed and grabbed his phone to text the only person in his life he could go to for advice on this situation.

To Eddy: Good evening Eddy. I hope I did not wake you, but I am in desperate need of some advice. Please respond at your earliest convenience.

To Sockhead: relax dude i wz up wats up

"Oh, curse Eddy's impractical texting style." Edd sighed.

To Eddy: Well, I am not entirely sure, but I just had a rather uncomfortable situation with a friend and I am uncertain why it occurred.

To Sockhead: wat hapnd

Edd paused for a moment. Eddy and Ed didn't really know how close he and Kevin had gotten in the past couple of weeks. The whole neighborhood was pretty close at this point, but what he and Kevin were doing was outside of the normal neighborly hangout that everyone else did. Eddy and Kevin were never going to be good friends. Tolerant acquaintances, at best. They didn't fight anymore, but there was always a small amount of tension in the room if they were left alone for too long. Time to get creative with pronouns.

To Eddy: I have been helping a new friend with school and they were over at my house for homework and movies. Due to some unforeseen circumstances we had a "wardrobe malfunction", and after that things got a little tense between us. I am not 100% sure why the tension was as palpable as it was. In retrospect it seems completely harmless, but they still left early and our usual farewells were stiff.

To Sockhead: ha!

To Sockhead: wat knd of "wardrobe malfunction"

To Eddy: Their pants fell off, but they had another pair of pants underneath! I was just startled and concerned about the indecency of it. I guess I freaked out more than they did. Do you think they are mad at me because of my reaction?

To Sockhead: u can b a little ovr the top dd

Edd huffed at his phone and rolled his eyes.

To Sockhead: but i thnk they wer nrvus cuz they lik u

To Sockhead: i c it all the time wit grls

Edd blushed furiously at the thought. Kevin doesn't like him. He's…he's...Kevin! Resident hero. Mr. Popular. A lady's man if one ever existed.

To Eddy: That is entirely impossible! There is no way that they like me. They are athletic and popular and such a people person. I am just me.

To Sockhead: so u lik em 2!

To Sockhead: go get em einstein

Edd frowned at this. _I like Kevin?_ That doesn't seem right. They _had_ been spending a lot of time together and Edd always had fun with the jock. Ed and Eddy were good for a mind numbing hangout, but Kevin let Edd think. Whether is was homework, or the science of movies, or even just an interesting topic he wanted to discuss; Kevin was a good listener and actually contributed to some of the conversations.

To Sockhead: i need 2 get 2 bed meetn that cheerleader tmr

To Sockhead: gn lovrboi

To Eddy: Have a pleasant evening, Eddy.

Edd sighed and tossed his phone on the bed. Thinking that Kevin was angry at him for his reaction to the whole pants situation was one thing; thinking that Kevin had a crush on him, a crush that Eddy thought Edd reciprocated, was completely different. This was not something he could just apologize for. This would need to be discussed and both parties involved would need to come to a decision about what it meant for their future friendship. Edd hated that idea. He and Kevin had grown so close and to have it all fall apart over a simple crush was disheartening.

Then again, if Kevin did indeed share his feelings, would that lead to a relationship? Edd had never dated anyone before. _Does having a crush on Kevin make me a homosexual?_ _No...I had that crush on Nazz when we were all in middle school. So that makes me bisexual, correct?_ _At least that part is simple, I still have to talk to Kevin._

Finding a minor amount of solace in having a label for what he was feeling, Edd sank back onto his bed. During the brief conversation he'd had with Eddy, the candle had melted a fair amount and the room was filled with the fresh scent of lavender. Edd took a deep breath and allowed the calming properties to work their magic on his rattled mind. He turned off his desk lamp, allowing the light of the moon to take over illuminating his room. From where he was lying, he could just see out the window and across the street to Kevin's house. The only light in the home was small and flickering in one of the first story windows.

 _I wonder which candle he is burning tonight._ Edd smiled at the thought, and drifted to sleep.

Kevin was currently pacing in his bedroom.

After leaving Edd's house he had gone straight to his room. He had ignored the leftover dinner his dad had set out for him and flopped onto his bed in frustration. The events of the evening kept looping in his mind. Hell, the events of the last few weeks were looping in his mind. Edd's smile at the football game, his gentle hands coaxing Kevin's muscles to relax with his miracle lotion, the movie nights, the laughter, making candles, that blush that graced the dork's cheeks this evening was so beaut-

 _No. Stop that thinking right there._

That was where the pacing began. That one simple thought forced Kevin to keep his legs moving in order to force his mind to think of something, anything, other than the sockhead across the street. So he walked and grumbled to himself about how stupid it was to be thinking the things that his mind was thinking.

Unlike Edd, Kevin immediately recognized what was going on. He'd felt it before. His Sophomore year of high school he had started dating this girl that was on the cheer squad with Nazz. They had dated for most of the school year when she had decided to date the baseball captain instead. Rebecca. No, Rachel. Who cares. The same bubbly, nerve tingling sensation that had consumed his life when he first met the girl was now boiling its way through his body as he recounted all of his time with Edd.

It had started the very night that he went to go see the dork and thank him for his help at the game. Shirtless and sitting in Edd's room while the genius carefully applied the lotion to his overworked arm. Edd had warmed the lotion between his fingers before lightly rubbing it over the muscles. He'd worked the uncomfortable knots away and whispered soft apologies whenever Kevin had tensed at a particularly sore spot. It was so tender. So compassionate. So lov-

 _No! Stop that!_

Kevin kicked at a random shoe, sending it flying across the room and into the wall. This was not him. Kevin Barr does not lose sleep over his dorky neighbor. Especially not his _male,_ dorky neighbor. Not happening. Not real. No way.

He stopped his pacing and faced the window to his room. The two candles that he and Edd had made together were still sitting there. He hadn't lit either of them yet, there hadn't really been a need. The whole process of making the candles came floating to the front of his mind. It had been quite the adventure picking out the scents and specific properties that they wanted their candles to have. Edd had made almost exclusively lavender candles, but Kevin wanted at least one that didn't smell like some flower, so Edd made him the beachfront, apple orchard candle.

Kevin grabbed a lighter from his desk, wandered over to the window sill, and lit the blue-green candle. Immediately the strong scent of apples filled the room. Kevin closed his eyes and could just picture being surrounded by apple trees, but as the candle burned another, more subtle scent joined the apple trees. Salt water. An almost humid smell of the ocean that hid just underneath the fruit. His mind's eye shifted the view around him to be at the edge of the orchard with an expanse of sand and water stretched in front of him. He breathed in deep and opened his eyes to the look at the candle again. The cyan color reminded him of bright, knowledgeable eyes. How he so enjoyed looking into those eyes…

 _NO!_

Kevin grabbed the candle from the sill and tossed it at the trashcan next to his desk. The flame went out as it sailed across the room to the bin, where it landed with a thunk. Kevin slumped onto the bed and put his head in his hands. Everything had been going just fine. He had kept these unwanted emotions in check for weeks, writing them off as "excitement" over the new friendship he had with Edd. It was that stupid blush on his face that had flipped the situation. Edd had looked so cute. His cheeks were completely red, all the way to his ears; hands over his eyes in embarrassment. The whole scene brought butterflies to Kevin's stomach.

He'd tried to will it away. _We're just friends. We're going to watch this movie and it will all go back to how it was._ Yet, he couldn't force it. He had forced himself to watch the movie, forced his laughter, forced himself to hug the boy before speed walking to the safety of his house, but he couldn't make the comfortable friendship between the two of them return. It was gone. He knew it the moment that adorable blush appeared on Edd's face. They were doomed.

Denial is a funny thing. It's like taking the extreme version of mind over matter and thinking that it can be applied to a particular fact in life, so one doesn't have to face the truth. If hope had a negative value, that would be denial. Kevin had been in denial from day one, but now his mind was losing to the matter of this situation. Though he wouldn't be going down without a fight.

Kevin straightened and looked back at the remaining candle. Edd's words drifted into his mind: " _Lavender is known for its relaxing properties. It is often used by those who have difficulty sleeping."_ Something told Kevin that he was going to have difficulty sleeping tonight. Maybe the magic flower candle would actually help calm his restless mind enough to sleep before school. He leaned over a lit the wick, watching as the end slowly charred and the wax began to melt. The lavender scent started to overpower the leftover apples and Kevin closed his eyes, falling back on the bed. He blindly reached out and switched off his desk lamp and rolled to face the window once more. Blinking open his eyes he could see Edd's window was dimly lit from one side, but more directly through the window was the flickering light of a candle.

 _I wonder which candle he is burning tonight._

Edd had resolved to talk to Kevin today about his new found feelings. It was only fair that he keep his friend in the loop on what was going on. He didn't want it to ruin their friendship. Kevin had come to mean a lot to the sockhead, and logically speaking it would be foolish to choose his crush over their current bond. Romantic feelings can be fleeting, especially in high school. Friendships can last a lifetime.

However, Kevin had made a resolution as well. His solution to this whole thing was to avoid Edd at all costs. The out of sight, out of mind philosophy. So, Kevin started dodging Edd whenever he could. He knew all of the routes the smaller boy took to his classes, so Kevin picked new ones. They already sat at different tables in the lunchroom, but just to be safe Kevin hid in the locker room with the football coach under the guise of forming new plays for regionals. When Edd arrived for the after school football practices he had taking to coming to, Kevin had his co-captain talk to him instead, so that he could "learn how to be captain one day". Then Kevin would hightail it home to hide. Rinse and repeat.

The new routine went on for the remainder of football season. Kevin and the team made it to the semi finals of regionals, but couldn't make it past the reigning champs from last year. The school still celebrated the accomplishment of making it as far as they had. Kevin, attended the mandatory assembly, but refused to go to the afterparty. He was so angry. The loss was his fault and he knew it. He was so distracted by this "not a thing" thing between himself and Edd that he couldn't focus on the game. After the loss, Kevin stopped talking to him teammates and sulked around the school, snapping at anyone who came to close.

Edd had been holding out the hope that once the football season was over, he and Kevin would reconcile. It was stress that was taking Kevin away from him. With that option official over, he felt himself sinking into an all too familiar lonely depression. Kevin was avoiding him because of something that he had done, right? That was the only thing that made sense. Edd had insulted Kevin somehow and now he was avoiding him out of anger. Maybe, Kevin just came to realized how immature Edd was as a friend. Who gets that easily upset over just some misunderstanding over pants? This had to be Edd's fault. The sockhead just accepted that Kevin was never going to speak to him again.

Winter break was spent alone.

Edd opened the mailed packages of presents from his parents.

Kevin waved goodbye to his dad as he took an extra shift at work.

Edd made a New Year's resolution and wrote a letter.

A chilly Monday morning welcomed the first day back to school. It wasn't unusual for Edd to get to school before Kevin, so slipping his letter into the jock's locker wasn't difficult. He figured that whenever Kevin found he would be in class and well out of the way for whatever the aftermath of it would be. Edd arrived in his first class of the day and slumped into this desk, burying his head in his arms. He hadn't been sleeping well again. His candle was proving absolutely useless. His parents called the day after Christmas to inform him that they were going to be in a series of conferences in China for the next few weeks and due to some of the remote areas they would be visiting, they would not be calling again until well into January. The emotional stress was proving to be quite trying for the dork.

Ed and Eddy wandered into the classroom seconds before the bell rang. Plopping into their regular seats they glanced over at their friend. Edd hadn't moved since he'd reached his desk, not even to acknowledge the bell signalling the beginning of class. Eddy's scrunched his eyebrows together in concern. This wasn't like the sockhead at all.

"Hey, Double D, are you O.K.?"

Edd turned his head in his arms to look at his friend. His face was red, eyes glazed over with heavy bags underneath them. He gave a small smile to his shorter friend, "Of course I am fine Eddy. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Oh hell no. You are anything but fine! I can tell just from looking at you. You're going to the nurse, right now. Ed, get him up." Eddy got the teacher's attention, while Ed pulled Double D to his feet. The two friends helped the genius to the nurse's office, admonishing him the whole way about taking better care of himself, or at the very least informing them that he needed help. They got him settled onto one of the beds and promised they would come by to check on him during lunch.

Kevin had arrived at school late. He hadn't slept that much the night before. The combination of his sleep schedule being changed for the holidays and how his mind kept wandering to a certain beanie clad boy had kept him awake most of the night. He'd used the Edd's candle to help get him through most of the nights of vacation, but now that it was gone had nothing to help ease him off to sleep. Kevin grumbled and moved to open his locker.

The hallways were completely empty, so he didn't have to deal with the student body continuously asking how his holiday went. Even after the break, Kevin felt on edge about everything. He had been hoping that a few weeks of not seeing anyone would calm his nerves and he would be able to return to life as usual. Well, life before Edd kind of usual at least. However, there was no such luck. Edd continued to haunt his thoughts, and avoiding the dork just made him feel like the scum of the Earth.

He roughly pulled his locker open and immediately an envelope fell at his feet. He recognized the swirly handwriting on the front immediately. _Edd…_

Picking up the letter, he pulled open the envelope and removed the neatly folded paper from inside.

 **Dearest Kevin,**

 **I must apologize for whatever behavior I exhibited that caused such a rift to form between us. It was not my intent to upset you so. It is horribly cowardly of myself to write you a letter instead of voicing my concerns to you directly, but I find myself unable to face you. I hope that you know that the weeks that we spent together in friendship were some of the happiest days I have lived recently. I am sure you can understand the loneliness of a single child, as well as having parents that are required to work so frequently.**

 **I must say that our friendship means a great deal to me and I would do nothing to harm it in the future should you see it in yourself to provide me with a second chance. I wish to continue our movie nights and homework sessions. I find myself with uncharacteristically low motivation for my studies since our falling out. Please my dear friend, I wish for nothing more than an explanation for our distance.**

 **I eagerly await your response.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Edd**

"Stupid dork…" Kevin gripped the paper tightly, the edges crumpled under his fingers. He threw the letter into his locker and slammed the door shut.

"Stupid." He kicked the lockers.

"Stupid!" Again.

"STUPID!" And again.

Everything that he had tried so hard to keep from his mind came rushing back in. The dam was broken, and the flood of memories of his time with Edd washed through him in a heartbeat. He fell to the floor, head hanging low as the reality of the whole situation clashed with his thoughts. A knot started to form in his stomach.

Edd's grin as they won that football game.

That night in his room when Edd nursed his arms back to functioning.

 _The knot pulled tighter._

The homework help.

The movies.

 _Tighter._

Laughing over candle wax.

That gapped tooth smile that shone with all the happiness in the world.

Their usual hugs goodbye.

 _And tighter._

The friendly chats that turned deep and understanding at their common struggles.

Falling asleep to the candle light in their windows.

That blush…

 _ **It snapped.**_

Kevin jumped to his feet and took off down the hall.

That was it. He can't take it anymore. What was the point of fighting what he was feeling? He just felt like crap constantly. No matter how much he ignored it, Edd was always on his mind. He was everywhere. Kevin followed his movement with his eyes when the dork wasn't looking. He watched Edd's window across the street, just waiting for the small glimpses of a shadow in the flickering candle light, just to know he was there and okay.

He rounded a corner and ran towards Edd's classroom.

He'd do anything to get the dork to forgive him for acting like such a jerk for the last month. He just had to see him smile again. He had to know that they still had a chance at a friendship at the very least. Kevin hoped against hope that he could fix this mess he had made. He needed Edd in his life. He accepted that Edd was someone special. His friend, maybe his best friend. His confidant. His crush.

 _His crush._

Kevin smiled to himself as he ran. Yes. That was what he needed. He needed Edd to know his feelings. So what if Kevin had only ever dated girls? So what if he was the town hero? Football star? Resident ladies man? He was Kevin first. He was Kevin, and he was in love with his adorable, dorky, male neighbor.

He skidded to a halt in front of the door to the classroom. He quickly composed himself and looked through the window. Edd's usual seat was empty. Kevin frowned and checked again. Nope, not there. _Maybe he's in the bathroom._ Kevin took off running again.

The closest bathroom to Edd's first class was empty.

So was the second bathroom.

 _Think, Kevin. The dork would never ditch… He's too much of a goody two shoes. Plus, I saw him leave his house this morning, so he has to be here. GAH! He would think I'm such an idiot for not being able to figure this out!_ Kevin rammed his head into the wall of lockers.

 _Well that did nothing but give me a headache…_

 _Wait, the nurse's office!_

Kevin turned and ran towards the front of the school.

Breathing heavily, he slid to a stop at the door. Edd was lying in the first bed along the wall. His beanie was pulled down a bit farther than normal to cover his eyes, but Kevin could make out the red tint to his face.

"Edd." Kevin breathed out.

Edd twitched on the bed. He raised his hat above his eyes and looked at the jock standing in the doorway. "K-Kevin. What are you doing here?"

Kevin leaned against the doorframe. Now that he was here, how was he supposed to tell the genius that he had a crush on him? He had been so focused on finding Edd, he didn't even start to think about what to do once he actually got to him. Plus, now that he had run all over the school looking for the object of his affections, he was really tired.

"Are you well Kevin? You must be at the nurse's office for a reason? Has something happened? Do you require assistance? I am here for other reasons, but I was the nurse's assistant at one point, I can help."

Kevin slumped to the floor, never breaking eye contact with Edd. He was propped on his knees, head resting on the door frame, chest heaving, and slightly sweaty. How was he going to tell the dork everything? There was so much to say and in his mind none of it made for a good starting point. Too blunt to just spit it out. Too much to explain to start at the beginning.

"Edd...I-I can't do this anymore."

Edd pulled his eyes away from the jock. "Oh...I see. I can tell that you received my letter and...and you wish to put an end to the friendship we had. I underst-"

Kevin slammed his fist onto the door, "No! Edd...tha-that's not it…"

"I do not understand."

"I…I can't…."

Kevin lowered his head and fixed his eyes to the floor.

Kevin's voice was a near whisper, desperate and scared, "I can't stop thinking about you. I can't stop thinking about how you helped us win the game, and all the help you gave the team. I can't stop thinking about the movie nights, or you helping me with my homework. I worry about you all the time. I see the candle light in your window from my room and I just know that you are struggling with something and I can't take not being there to help you. I can't sleep. I can't dream without seeing you. I've never felt this way before and I can't...I just can't do this anymore. I can't be without you." He slumped the rest of the way to the ground, head in his hands and shaking. This was the right thing to do, but what would Edd say?

Edd stared at Kevin through his whole confession. He swung his legs off the bed and made his way over to the jock on the floor. He seemed so vulnerable and almost broken, so unlike the strong, confident person that Edd had come to know him as. Edd would never consider himself to be bold, but he found himself feeling like he needed to be the one to be brave. He knelt in front of Kevin and brought his heads to the sides of the red-head's face. He pulled those green eyes up to meet his own.

"It is okay, Kevin. You do not have to fight this. I feel the same." Pulling from his sudden burst of courage, Edd closed the distance between their lips. Kevin could feel his face turning red with embarrassment. Shy, socially awkward Double D was kissing him and he was just sitting there wide-eyed and unmoving. He quickly pulled himself together and wrapped his arms around the small teen in front of him, dragging him closer. Kevin closed his eyes and just let the moment be.

The two finally broke apart, both red faced and smiling nervously at the other. Kevin's eyes softened, and he gave the dork his signature smirk.

"I love you, Edd."

* * *

So this story took me over two months to write. It was supposed to only be a couple thousand words long and then I couldn't stop writing. So here we are almost 10K words and a whole lot of frustration later. I had the hardest time trying to decide how to end it. I'd love some feedback on the ending in general, not sure I love it as it is, but I needed to get this out so I can move on to the next song already.

Leave your guesses in the comments, reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading!

Cthepolkadots


	2. Chapter 2

Hello lovely people! Here's the next addition to my music driven fanfics. A few things to cover before we get into it:

First, the song for the first fic was Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon. The biggest hints in that one was the candle that Kevin and Edd had in the window, a few lines of dialog, and the way that Kevin raced to Edd to tell him his feelings. That one is a bit older of a song, so no worries if you didn't know it.

Second, *TRIGGER WARNING* This story contains VIOLENCE, HOMOPHOBIC SLURS, and DEATH. Please keep your mental health safe my loves!

As such, this chapter is **RATED M.** For all of the aforementioned reasons.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this except the plots I attempt to write.

* * *

Kevin left his last class of the day spaced out, thinking about a certain raven haired dork. He and Edd had been dating? Heavy flirting? Having long makeout sessions while half naked. And sex. They had sex, too. Great sex if he was being completely honest. So...dating? He sighed and slumped against the lockers. _I can't really say that we aren't dating with how much time we spend together, or all the things that we have done._ It's not that he didn't really like Edd, he really, **really** liked Edd actually.

He liked spending his afternoons doing homework with the neighborhood genius, evenings watching movies or playing a video game, and weekends getting out of town so they could have some freedom, but Edd liked labels. It shouldn't have been such a shock when Edd asked what they were. Kevin knew from the evidence all over Edd's house how much the kid liked to label things. Why wouldn't he want to label the two of them with a definitive "dating or not dating"?

The issue was that Kevin knew that if they defined what they were doing, it would lead to other things that needed to be defined. Not dating meant that Kevin was just screwing around, experimenting with his sexuality, bi-curious at the very least, and he would lose Edd for that. The genius was not one to be an "experiment" and told Kevin so from the beginning. Dating meant that Kevin was bisexual or gay and would then need to decide if he wanted everyone to know about it. How would his family take it? His friends? His team? This could seriously mess things up for the jock. His pride wouldn't let him lose face to his peers. His fear wouldn't let him come out to his parents.

Yet Edd had laid out the ultimatum: one month to decide. At the end of the month Edd was coming out as gay. He was done hiding. He knew who he was and how he wanted to live his life. Kevin could either join him and they could officially date, or he could keep quiet and lose Edd forever. Today was the last day; Edd came out to his friends at lunch and word spread around the school on the gossip train before Kevin had even had a chance to talk to the dork about the final plan. So now Kevin was on the clock. He had until midnight to decide if he wanted Edd more than he wanted to keep his "ladies man" reputation.

And Kevin was not ready to make that decision.

Not that his ladies man reputation was based on any actual fact. Kevin had dated one girl his Sophomore year and it ended terribly. She insisted that they have sex after only a few days of dating. As it was Kevin's first relationship, he wasn't 100% sure that it would be a good idea to just straight into the bedroom after a lot of flirting and two dates. There was just something about the situation that rubbed him the wrong way, so he declined and the girl blew a gasket on him.

Turns out she had wanted to bed the up and coming football star so that she could brag to her friends. His reluctance to get it on with her put a serious damper on her plans and it was a serious turn off so not even two weeks into the relationship Kevin broke it off. The girl claimed that they slept together anyway and despite the hard breakup, gave Kevin a glowing review of his skills. The jock didn't really mind at the time, it just meant that his team thought highly of him in the relationship department. It only came to matter when the situation with Edd started.

Mutual friend hangouts, turned into individual hangouts, which turned into mutual feelings and long makeout sessions. Edd assumed that Kevin knew what to do next in their rapidly evolving physical relationship. When Kevin confessed that not only did he have no idea what to do when it came to sex with a man, he had no idea what sex was like at all, Edd had to take the reins and show Kevin a whole new world.

It was done mostly through educational videos and research online, but it was still a new world.

Now that world was potentially coming to an end.

No amount of thinking, worrying, and talking the situation over with Edd was helping him make up his mind. The what-ifs kept piling up on him. What if everyone hated him? What if lost his spot on the football team and then couldn't go to college on scholarship? What if he did all this for Edd and the two of them don't work out? What if he didn't come out and regretted losing the best love he had known so far in his life? It was maddening to consider all of the options and have to make this choice by the end of the day.

He sighed again, placing his head against the lockers and looking out the window. He saw some of his teammates running around out on the field. They looked like they were having fun with some game. Five or six of them were chasing one, running across the grass as fast as they could. _That looks like way more fun than trying to decide which path will destroy my life less._ The boys tackled the front runner to the ground and Kevin chuckled at their antics, but his smile started to droop as he saw the football players form a circle around the fallen boy.

He could almost hear their laughter as they started kicking the figure on the ground.

He could almost hear them taunting their victim.

He **could** hear Edd scream.

 _Shit!_

Kevin dropped his backpack to the ground and bolted out the door. Running down the hall as fast as he possibly could, he headed for the closest exit he knew of to get the field.

 _Hold on, Edd._

* * *

In the few short minutes it had taken Kevin to get to the field his team had dragged Edd to his feet. They were pushing him around the circle, each taking a turn punching him as the poor nerd stumbled around between them.

"Hey!" Kevin shouted as he approached the team. His fellow jocks turned to face him and Edd slumped to the ground now that the bullies were no longer holding him up. "What's going on here?!"

"Hey Kev, we're just making sure that this fag knows his place." Paul replied. He was the same age as Kevin and Edd. He'd been vying for Kevin's captain position for the last year. The air of confidence around him as he answered made Kevin believe that he was expecting Kevin to approve of their behavior. The other four guys in the circle seemed more on the fence. _Just a bunch of sheep letting the dog push them around._

"What the hell does him being gay have to do with you?" Kevin snarled back.

Realizing where this was going Paul's confidence started to fade. His grin turned into a scowl and he glared at Kevin. "Why does it matter to you?"

"He's my...friend… We grew up together. Come on, man. Let him go."

Edd had made his way back to his feet as the two alpha's talked it out. The other four were not paying much attention to their prey. Sensing that this might be his only opportunity to escape he slowly started to back away from the group. If he could make it even a small distance away, he'd have enough of a head start to get back to the school and make it somewhere safe. Edd wasn't very athletic, but he could run when he needed to. Years of being chased by his now pseudo-boyfriend had given him stamina.

Taking cautious steps back, Edd slowly inched his way from them. Doing some quick math in his head he determined he'd probably need to be at least ten to fifteen feet from the jocks before he could turn and run. That would give him enough time to put even more distance between, account for the slower reaction time to his escape as they most likely would expect him to still be cowering in fear at their feet, and their slower start as they would not be prepared to run the way he was.

Edd was almost at his ideal distance when Kevin and Paul's argument reached shouting levels. Paul was insisting that Edd just needed to remember his place and it wasn't Kevin's concern. Kevin was adamant that as Edd's friend he had every right to put a stop to this stupid beating.

"Am I not your friend, too, Cap?!"

"You were until you turned out to be a fucking homophobe and a world class dickwad!"

At that comment, Paul launched his fist at Kevin's face, catching him off guard. Kevin's head swung to the side as he fell, landing awkwardly on the grass.

"Kevin!" Edd sprinted from where he was escaping back to Kevin's side. No one moved as Edd slid to a stop in the grass. He pulled Kevin into his lap and examined him. The jock had some blood running out of his nose and the side of his face was already turning a shocking purple color, but he was conscious. He stared up at Edd, dazed from the blow. "Oh, Kevin! Babe, are you alright?"

"...Babe?"

 _Shit._

The two on the grass slowly turned their eyes to where Paul was grinning above them. A sick twisted smile forming on his lips as he leered at the couple.

"Babe… I see what's going on here. The nerd has a thing for the captain. I guess there's nothing that can be said for his taste in men. Now what about you, Cap? Do you take it up the ass from this pipsqueak?" Paul threw his head back and laughed hysterically at the scene before him.

Kevin glared at the teen above him, before jumping to his feet and tackling Paul to the ground. The bully landed on the ground with a small _oof_ before Kevin reared back and returned the punch to his face. As their leader hit the grass, the other four jumped into action. Before Kevin could land another punch, two of group grabbed him around the armpits and hauled him back. He thrashed against them, as the other two pulled Paul back on his feet.

"Well now Cap, that was very nice was it?" Paul sneered at the redhead as he continued to struggle. "I don't believe that a beating will really teach you a lesson. You're far too stubborn for something like physical pain to affect you. I bet you're more of the type that would hate to see someone he cares for hurt. Am I right?"

Kevin froze at his question. Eyes wide with shock, he took a quick glance at Double D where he was still crouched on the ground. Fear filled his mind as he realized that this situation just got a hundred times worse than it had been.

"Let's get the fag on his feet, shall we?" Paul chuckled darkly as the remaining two goons dragged Edd to his feet, back towards their leader. Edd was rigid with fear as he came face to face with his main tormentor. Paul placed his hands on Edd's shoulders gently, almost as if he cared. Edd trembled under his touch, too afraid to look away. With one last sickening grin, Paul patted Edd's shoulder with one hand while the other pulled back and rammed into his stomach.

Edd gasped in pain, trying to hunch over and hide his stomach from the bully, but the two that had his arms kept him upright. Paul pulled back again, landing a second punch on Edd's now seriously bruised stomach.

Kevin watched in horror as Paul continued his assault on Edd. He pulled against his captors, crying out desperately for Paul to stop. Edd was dangling limply in the bully's arms now. He seemed unconscious except for his repeated cries of pain. Paul motioned for the two to drop him and Edd fell unceremoniously to the ground, landing hard and unmoving. Kevin stared in disbelief at the fallen boy, as Paul sauntered over to him.

Paul leaned in close to Kevin's ear, whispering harshly, "What do you think Captain? Do you think he's had enough?"

Kevin thrashed one more time, managing to slam his head into Paul's. Both boys reeled from the collision, but recovered quickly to return to glaring at each other.

"So defiant," Paul laughed rubbing his temple. "I guess you still haven't learned your lesson." He tapped his palm against Kevin's cheek, before turning and pulling a pocket knife out of his jeans. "Let's give the little fag something to remember."

Paul returned to Edd and kneeled over him. Kevin started pulling again, feet sliding against the ground in an attempt to get to his boyfriend. From where he was restrained, Paul was obstructing his view, but he knew something terrible was happening when Edd started to scream. He tugged harder against the two boys holding him, finally getting one arm free and launched his fist into the face of the one still gripping him. The other jumped in surprise and hastily backed away from the seething redhead.

Kevin paid him no attention as he turned and jumped at Paul's back, pulling the bully away from Edd. The knife fell to the ground beside them as the two wrestled each other. Seeing the situation devolve, the four helpers ran off leaving the two alpha males to battle it out. Edd still lay motionless on the ground, he was breathing heavily with tears streaming down his cheeks to the grass below.

Paul and Kevin were currently locked together, arms pushing against arms in an attempt to force the other into a more submissive position. Taking advantage of the blow to the face earlier, Paul brought his elbow up just enough to jab Kevin in the tender bruise around his cheek and eye. The knee-jerk reaction to cover his eye and protect it had Kevin releasing Paul. The bully seized the opportunity to grab for the knife where it had fallen.

Freshly armed and grinning like a madman, Paul resumed the wrestling match with Kevin, with much higher stakes at hand. The two locked arms again, Kevin keeping a constant side glance on the blade that was glinting in the afternoon sun. There was just enough of a coppery-red stain on it to remind him just how dangerous this situation could turn. Kevin kicked hard off the ground and managed to roll Paul under him, keeping his hands firmly on the bully's forearms to prevent him from being able to swing the knife.

Paul twisted the knife in his hand and managed to drag the tip along Kevin's arm, just above his wrist. Kevin hissed in pain, but refused to let go. Sensing the need to change tactics, Paul thrust his hips up against Kevin's torso, forcing just enough of a gap between them to quickly raise his knee and catch the redhead in the stomach. Winded, Kevin loosened his grip and Paul moved to roll them so Kevin would be underneath him.

That was where it all went wrong.

Since Paul had maneuvered the knife to be more pointed in his hand to cut Kevin, when he rolled the blade was still pointed out and down in his fist.

During the struggle to roll Kevin under him, he'd lost his balance just enough to need to catch himself from falling over completely.

And Edd hadn't moved.

The knife came down straight into Edd's stomach, imbedding itself all the way to the hilt. The nerd gasped in pain, eyes widening with shock. The two jocks froze at the scene before them, Kevin scrambling out from under Paul and moved to Edd's side.

"Edd! Babe! Oh my God! Shit! SHIT! No, no, no, no, no, no!"

Paul hadn't moved, hand still gripping the knife that was now buried deep in the nerd's stomach.

"Paul! Fucking hell, man! What the fuck were you thinking?!" Kevin turned, yelling at dumbfounded teen, "Call 911! Now!"

Paul blinked slowly, Kevin's words sinking into his head. He pulled back his hand to grab his phone-

"NO! DON'T PULL THE KNIFE OUT!"

But it was too late. The knife slid out with a sickening noise, followed by blood. Lots of blood.

Paul took one look at the oozing wound and bolted, taking off across the grass back to the school. Kevin yelled after him, but didn't give chase, there were more important things. He ripped his shirt off, bunching it up over Edd's stomach to stop the bleeding. Edd cried out in pain as Kevin pushed down.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, but we have to stop the bleeding. Where's your phone?"

"I-in m-my bag…"

Kevin looked around desperately. Not seeing anything bag shaped on the ground, he was filled with dread.

"...Where's your bag?"

"Th-they threw i-it away."

"Shit…" Kevin looked around again. There wasn't anyone else in sight on the field. School had let out long ago, and Kevin had left his bag in the hallway in his rush to get to Edd. Kevin pulled on his resolve and turned to look at his boyfriend.

"Edd. I need to go get a phone. We have to get help. You need to put your hands here and hold this down while I get help. Understand?" Kevin spoke gently, but urgently. He reached for his boyfriend's hands one by one, never breaking contact or pressure with the bloodied shirt. He put both of Edd's hands under his own and pushed down again to show Edd what he needed to do.

"Kevin…" Edd's voice was shaking, barely a whisper, "D-don't leave m-me…"

Kevin's stomach twisted and his eyes started to sting. He put on what he hoped was a brave face, "Don't worry, Edd. I'm going to be right back with help. You're going to be just fine."

With that last thought. He gave Edd's hands one final push down onto the wound and a squeeze and took off across the lawn back to the school. Adrenaline coursed through him as he reached the building and yanked open the door. He took off down the hallway in search of where he'd dropped him bag earlier, calling out for anyone as he went. The halls echoed back at him without any replies. _Everyone must be gone._

He slid to a halt where his backpack lay on the ground and dumped the contents unceremoniously on the ground. Finding his phone among the papers and books he quickly dialed 911 and explained the situation while taking off back down the hall to return to Edd.

Help was on that way.

Racing back across the grass, he listened intently as the dispatcher explained first aid to him. The lady on the other end promised an ambulance would be arriving soon and that he should stay on the line, but when he reached Edd he threw his phone to the side so that he could use both hands to apply pressure.

"It's okay, Edd. Someone's coming to help you, you're going to be just fine."

Edd was covered in a light layer of sweat, so pale he was practically translucent. "K-Kevin…"

"Shhh…Don't talk right now. Just keep pushing down. Just like I am. I'm here. I won't leave you." Kevin's shirt was soaked through. The once light green material taking on a horrible dark red color. Kevin's heart raced in his chest as he stared down at the boy he loved. Edd's breathing was shallow and his eyes were darting around the sky as if seeking out some object to focus on.

"Hey...Edd. Look at me. I'm right here." Edd's eyes drifted over to the redhead above him. His eyelids were drooped, as if he was about to fall asleep. "D-do you remember that time we went down to the park in the city?"

Not getting a reply, Kevin continued, "You wanted to go see this historical statue of the founder of Peach City, something about needing to see it for a history paper or whatever. A-and we walked through the park for hours searching for the damn thing. You were so insistent that it would always be around the next turn." Kevin chuckled weakly, "You looked so sad every time we would come around the corner and there would just be trees or some drinking fountain. When we found the swingset and decided to just sit and take a break from searching, I thought for sure that you were going to start crying, but you just kept talking about how wonderful the day was or how happy you were I was there, and how much you were looking forward to finding the stupid statue so that you could show it to me.

"I-I fell in love with you that day Edd. I couldn't believe how you just kept going even though you were so tired and frustrated. All because that statue meant so much to your history paper. It was so amazing...you just wouldn't give up and you wanted to share that with me of all people. I felt like I would follow you anywhere."

Edd's eyes shone with tears, his hand twitched lightly under Kevin's, moving his finger just enough to entwine it with one of the redhead's.

"Y-you're so much...stronger than people give you credit for. You have so much resolve for what you believe in. I've always been so concerned with what other people thought of me…"

"K-Kevin...y-you're my everything. I l-love you…" Edd's voice was so quiet Kevin had to strain to hear it. His lips had taken on a blueish hue, eyes dulling, but his gapped toothed smile reflected in the sun, brightening the green eyes that looked down on him. So warm and full of love for the jock above him. "I-I…"

Edd's voice faded out and his eyes slipped closed as he lost consciousness.

"Edd."

"Edd!"

"Wake up! Edd!"

"Please! Don't give up! You're supposed to be the strong one, didn't I say that?! Edd! Say something, anything!"

Kevin's hands shook violently against Edd's stomach. Tears streaming down his face as he continued to shout, "Edd! Come on, wake up!"

"I-I pick you, Edd! I don't care if people know that I'm gay! I don't care what anyone else thinks! I want to be with you, Edd. Just you! You have to wake up, so you can be with me! You can't give up! I love you so much Edd!"

Sirens sounded loudly from the front of the school as the ambulance arrived and pulled onto the field.

"Edd?!"

"Eddward!"

"Please Edd…"

Strong hands gently pulled Kevin away from the small teen. Flashing lights lit the grass around them as paramedics descended on the unconscious boy. The world swirled around Kevin in a blur as Edd was quickly loaded into the ambulance. Someone was kneeling in front of Kevin, but there was no sound in his mind. Just the ground tilting sideways beneath him as he passed out.

* * *

Kevin stood alone in the park in Peach City. A large statue of a man cast a shadow over him while a light breeze ruffled his hair. He brought his eyes to the monument in front of him, reading over the words at the base: 'Founder of Peach City circa 1841'.

Kevin's lips were pressed into a hard line as he stepped forward with the small jar he had in his hands. Popping the lid, he crouched down and shook the contents into the flower bed at the base of the statue. Edd's funeral had been a few days earlier. His parents had him cremated and jars of his cremains were distributed to Ed, Eddy, and Kevin to do with as they wished. _Trust the dork to have a will when he's only in high school._

The wind picked up speed as Kevin stood up, taking a few steps back to look at the figure before him. Tears formed in his eyes as he stared.

"I'm sorry, Edd. I'm so sorry."

* * *

This story was a little easier to get through than the first one. I had a really good idea of where I wanted to take it before I even started writing. It was still really difficult to write, just given the overall theme of the story and the horrible things that happen in it. Paul is actually named after a few horrible people that I have met in my life (nothing against Paul's, but every one that I have ever met is a royal douchebag).

Anyway, please take some time to eat some chocolate, snuggle to a loved one, and move on from this sad tale.

Leave you guesses in the comments, reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading!

Cthepolkadots


	3. Chapter 3

*TRIGGER WARNING* This story contains CUTTING and MENTIONS OF SUICIDE. Please keep your mental health safe my loves!

That being said this story will be happier than the previous one. Just has some serious topics.

The song for the last chapter was Say Something by Great Big World. Did you get it right?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this except the plots I attempt to write.

* * *

The door to Eddward Marion Vincent's home burst open and a small, dark figure quickly dashed out. A shrill voice followed out into the stormy night, echoing down the street. The freezing rain came down nearly horizontal, quickly soaking the figure as it made an escape from the cul-de-sac heading towards the local playground. Heavy footfalls were lost in the howling of the wind, the only proof of the figure in the storm were the fast puffs of air visibly escaping out from the hood covered face.

Reaching the swings, the young man collapsed into one and silently cursed his lack of physical stamina. It just had to be the night of this horrible storm that his mother returned from her business trip. His parents had always been away with work for one reason or another. The strain it put on the relationship with their son, was soon matched with the strain it put between the two of them. The divorce had been quick and to the point. Edd's mother kept custody of their boy and the house to keep him in, his father would pay 75% of the cost to send Edd off to college in the next two years, and everything else was divided down the middle.

That was when the real troubles began. Despite their constant absence in his life, both of his parents loved him dearly and only wanted the best from him. When they were together, his mother's overly ambitious standards of his grades and school standing were balanced with his father's understanding that there was more to life than academics. Get good grades, but don't work yourself to death in the process, have a little fun sometimes.

Now that they were separated, Edd's mother insisted on a heavy schedule of studying, extra classes, and other such scholarship opportunities to ensure that Edd would be valedictorian and get a full ride to any college in the country. Like that would prove to her ex husband that she was worthy of being taken back or some nonsense.

The rain pelted against Edd's back as he slumped on the swing. The chains were like ice in his hands, but his grip was tight and he refused to budge when the sky cracked with lightning and the rain fell harder. Despite the frigid weather, his insides were boiling hot. His oh-so loving mother had found his progress report from his English class. His grade had dropped by a percentage because of a lower score he had received on one of his assignments. Nevermind the fact that it was still an A, or that it was the highest grade in the class as his teacher informed him when she had passed back the assignments, lower was lower and that was unacceptable.

The former Mrs. Vincent had screamed herself hoarse at him. Ignoring his arguments about how this would have very little impact on his GPA or his chances at college. What university looked at the individual scores for the classes anyway? His sassy remarks got him a firm slap across the face and that was when fled. Chased out by the words of his mother: No son of mine is going to be such a failure!

So, Edd sat on the swing and shivered in the storm wondering if he should try to go back home or just wait for the elements to take him to some place where mothers loved their sons no matter what, and fathers didn't just disappear.

A loud rumbling noise over the storm shook Edd from his thoughts. A single headlight was moving quickly through the streets of the neighborhood, heading towards the cul-de-sac. The neighborhood bad boy was on his way home from somewhere, probably out at a party with the other popular kids from the high school.

Kevin's bullying ways hadn't really stopped over the years, he'd just moved on to different targets. Ever since the Ed's and the rest of the kids had battled it out with Eddy's impressively obnoxious big brother, Kevin decided to be the protector of all of them. There was no need to worry about standing up to a big bully if you were the biggest bully of them all. So Kevin bulked up, stood up to every tormentor any of the kids encountered, and put them down. Yet, he still found the time to be the local basketball champ and held a decent standing in the school. Nothing compared to Edd, but when one doesn't have an obsessive mother breathing down your neck, it's okay to get a B every once in awhile.

The bright beam of the headlight illuminated the park, shining off of the metal equipment and throwing Edd's shadow down the field. The rumbling grew louder as the bike neared, but instead of retreating again as Kevin drove home, the noise continued to increase until it suddenly stopped. Edd sighed and just waited for the redhead to arrive. Cul-de-sac hero incoming, prepare for awkward confrontation in three… two… one…

"Double D?"

Edd answered without turning, "Good evening, Kevin. Is it not a little late and a little wet outside for you to be riding that deathtrap?"

Kevin scoffed, "Yeah, probably. I just needed to get some air." He flopped down onto the remaining swing, "What are you doing out here?"

"This is hardly the time to be trying to get some air, unless you have recently grown gills. I find it difficult to believe that is your actual reason." Edd's usually sassy comeback sounded hollow and lifeless. He still refused to make eye contact with the jock next to him.

Kevin's eyebrows drew together in concern. He knew enough about the small nerd before him to know something was up. "Come on Double D, don't just avoid my question."

"I could say the same to you, Kevin."

Thunder continued to rumble overhead and wind thrashed against the teens as they sat in stubborn silence. Edd started shivering, the chains rattling slightly in his hands, but he wouldn't let go. Kevin sighed, and moved to place one hand over Edd's smaller one. Despite the rain, Kevin's hand was warm around the dorks. Edd gasped at the sudden change of temperature, but still refused to move.

"How come you are being so stubborn, Double D?"

"Allow me to reply in kind, Kevin."

"I am not being stubborn, I just asked you first."

"How childish of you to demand my response before supplying your own."

"Says the guy sitting on a playground swingset in the rain in the middle of the night."

"Et tu, Kevin?"

Kevin grumbled. He knew he wasn't going to win against the dork, he was on the debate team after all. Sighing in defeat he answered, "Fine, I got in a fight with my dad. Happy?"

"No." Edd's small voice replied, just loud enough to be heard over the storm.

"What more do you want me to say Double D? I answered your question."

Edd finally turned to look at Kevin, he face was pale from the cold, but the areas around his eyes were red and swollen. The faint outline of his mother's hand still burned on his cheek. "You asked if I was happy, I said no."

"...Who hit you, Edd? I thought I taught them all not to screw with us." Kevin's grip on Edd's hand tightened slightly as his anger grew at the sight before him. Double D was just a kid in Kevin's eyes, despite them being the same age. He was ready to beat the shit out of anyone in the school if they dared to hurt one of his childhood friends.

"I assure you Kevin, no one from our school would dare strike me. Not with knowing that you would retaliate against it."

The silence returned between the two as Kevin allowed Edd's words to sink in. Realization dawned in his mind, "Your parents hit you? How long has that been going on? Why didn't you come ask me for help? You know I would have."

"What could you have possibly done against her?" Edd spat bitterly. He pulled his hand from Kevin's grasp and moved away from the swing, standing before the jock. "Do not pretend to comprehend what is going on in my house! I assure you that it is not your concern!"

"Of course it's my concern! We grew up together man, why wouldn't I care?" Kevin stood from his swing as well, stepping before the teen in front of him. The two were almost equal in height, but all their other physical traits countered the other, dark hair to light, tan skin to pale, toned muscle to slight. Edd's small frame was shivering with cold before the wall of muscle that was Kevin.

"I feel that you would not understand," Edd dropped his head, staring at his shoes. "Mother's expectations of me are quite lofty."

Kevin sighed again, bringing his hands up to place on Edd's arms, "I understand Double D. My old man is the same way."

"Your father deems it necessary to strike you when your grades fall?"

"Nah, but he beat my ass when I told him I was gay and wouldn't take a basketball scholarship because I want be an architect."

Edd's eyes grew wide and he looked back up at the jock before him. "I did not know you were a homosexual, Kevin."

"Yeah…I'm not really hiding it, but there aren't a lot of people who know. I figured that the ones that were important enough to know would find out when they needed to and everyone else can just deal. I guess this is when you needed to know, huh dork." Kevin smiled at the teen before him.

"S-so it would seem…"

"Come on Edd, let's get out of the rain. I'm freezing." Kevin pulled Edd towards his bike.

"Kevin, I must decline! I have no interest in going back to my house presently and given what information you just told me I am not willing to risk going to your house either!" Edd was fighting uselessly against Kevin's hold on his arm.

The two teens came to a stop next to Kevin's cherry red motorcycle. Kevin reached around into one of the saddlebags and pulled out a helmet. Before he could protest Kevin shoved it onto Edd's head, squishing his soaked hat against his scalp, then he swung a leg over the bike and started the motor. "Don't worry, we're not going to either of our houses. I think our parents can go fuck themselves for the evening. I know somewhere else we can go."

"Language, Kevin!" Edd shouted through the helmet. He dithered on the sidewalk for a moment, before begrudgingly swinging his leg over the bike as well. He really didn't have any other options at this point, he'd have to trust Kevin to get them somewhere safe from the storm. He expected some sort of restaurant or maybe even a hotel, but when they pulled off the street onto a dirt path into the forest, he had no idea what to think.

A few bumpy, mud splashing minutes later they pulled in front of a large tree. Kevin shut off the bike and jumped off, pulling Edd's helmet from his beanie clad head and storing it back in the bag. He sauntered casually over to the tree.

"Kevin, we are in the middle of nowhere. What are we doing here?" Edd didn't move from the back of the bike.

"This is my old treehouse. We're going to crash here for the night. I've got food, blankets, and a change of clothes for ya. No worries."

Taking the hint that he should just follow the redhead, Edd slide awkwardly off the bike and jogged after him. The two climbed a makeshift ladder of boards that had been nailed into the tree trunk. Once inside, Kevin grabbed two flashlights and a lantern and lit the area around them.

The treehouse was fairly small, just enough room for the two teens to sit comfortably and move around one at a time. There was a sleeping bag in one corner with a few blankets and pillows. The opposite corner held snacks and cans of food. There was a single self along the wall that had a few stacks of books and a box of something, and the last wall had a few piles of clothes.

"Well...uhhh...welcome to my treehouse?" Kevin chuckled to himself as he moved around Edd to get to the clothes behind him. He grabbed a shirt and pair of pants for each of them and then a sweatshirt. "Here, change into these, so you don't get hypothermia or some shit."

"Very well...You have to turn around though." Edd was blushing from his nose to his ears. Edd had come out to the cul-de-sac kids a couple years ago and the redhead before him had always been a crush of his. The last thing he wanted was for the object of his affections to see him in such a state of undress. Not when there were still so many secrets the genius was hiding.

"Whatever you say dork." Kevin turned his back to him. The two changed clothes in silence. Kevin finished first as the clothes actually fit him correctly and he didn't need to spend extra time adjusting everything. As he turned around to ask Edd about food, he caught a glimpse of faint red lines patterned along Edd's arms as he was attempting to adjust the ends of the sleeves to reveal his hands.

"Edd…"

The smaller teen froze at the sound of Kevin's voice. It was quiet and filled with so much concern. Edd followed Kevin's gaze to his arm and quickly tugged the shirt down covering the skin beneath. He wrapped his arms around himself and shuffled away from the jock, "Kevin...please-"

But Kevin had already moved to grip the teen by his wrists. He pushed Edd to the floor and maneuvered both his hands into one of his own, using the other to slide both sleeves up Edd's arms and reveal the scarred skin. The lines were everywhere, spread out across Edd's arms from wrist to shoulder. Some seemed more recent than others, some were longer and appeared deeper, but all of them made Kevin's mind fill with a rage he didn't know he had.

"Edd." Kevin's voice was tight, "What did you do?"

Silent tears were rolling out of the corners of Edd's eyes. He stared at Kevin, pushing his emotions back in check, he blinked the remaining wetness away, "You know exactly what I did. Now let me go."

Kevin released his wrists and moved away, never breaking eye contact with Edd. The rain was still pouring outside the walls of their small refuge, occasional flashes of lightning could be seen through the boards. The wind howled and shook the structure around them, but the two boys just stared at each other in another stubborn silence. Kevin was the one to break.

"Why?"

"Please Kevin, I do not wish to explain this to you."

"We've all been there for you. From when you came out at school and through the divorce, that fight with Eddy, why do this?"

Edd sighed, "It is not simply a matter of support from my peers."

"What else could I have done to prevent this?"

Edd's eyes widened at his response. "This is not your fault. Why would you even think such a thing?"

"Because I was supposed to protect everyone! After everything with Eddy's douchebag brother we were supposed to be safe. We were supposed to be happy! I thought I kept everything the way it was supposed to be. No one would fuck with us, I made sure of it! No one else was supposed to feel this way!" Tears were forming in Kevin's eyes as he ranted to the smartest Ed.

"No one else?"

Kevin fell silent. A brief look of fear crossed his face before he replaced it with his usual bad boy scowl, "Don't worry about it dork." He turned away and started shuffling through the food store in the corner, muttering to himself about vegetables for the skinny boy behind him. Edd moved quietly behind Kevin, reaching out and placing his hand on the jock, causing him to stop moving. Edd could feel the muscles in his shoulder tense under his grip, he carefully slid his hand down Kevin's arm. Moving slowly, but deliberately to the edge of his sleeve. Kevin's hand shot out and stopped him as he reached the end. "Don't."

"Kevin. You know I am incapable of restraining you physically the way that you did to me. My skills are more of the intellectual type, as you are well aware. That being said, I already know what I will find beneath your shirt. I am now asking that you share with me, as you so often demand of everyone else to share with you." Edd's voice was soft and gentle, full of just as much concern as Kevin was showing him earlier.

Kevin's mouth was drawn into a hard line. He pulled away from Edd and squeezed his eyes shut. Reaching to the neckline of his shirt he pulled the whole thing over his head and dropped it in a wad at his knees. Kevin's arms mirrored Edd's, lines covered his skin in a jagged pattern. Edd brought his hand to the redhead's arm once again, tracing a few scars with his fingers until he came a upon a particularly fresh one. He glanced at Kevin's face to see that the jock was following the path his fingers were tracing over the tanned skin.

"My dad found a magazine of mine. I guess...he thinks he can make me straight by yelling." His voice was weak and vulnerable as he sat exposed to the resident genius.

Edd scowled at the idea. Drawing from his anger at the ginger's father he mimicked Kevin's movements and pulled the borrowed shirt over his head. His pale skin shone in the dim light from the lantern. Kevin stared at the sight before him. Edd's torso and stomach were also covered in lines, all of the wounds were significantly more recent than the ones on his arms. A few were still bright red and slightly scabbed.

"I did not do as well on my midterms as Mother had hoped."

Kevin reached out and slid his hand across Edd's stomach feeling the rise and fall of the newly laid scars under his fingers. Edd shivered slightly at the touch. He closed his eyes, revelling in the warm skin that passed softly over his own. It had been a long time since he had known such a caring feeling.

"Come on," Kevin muttered. He gripped Edd's side lightly and guided him to the sleeping bag and blankets. He quickly organized a bed for the two of them and wrapped them both in a blanket. Edd watched Kevin's face with interest as he was gently coaxed to laying down in the bundle of fabric. Kevin laid on his side, facing Edd. He moved his arm into view and pointed at a few of the scars near his wrist. "Those are from when the football team put Plank through the wood chipper. Johnny still can't go past shop class without cringing."

Edd pulled his arm into view as well, "These are from the divorce."

"After I told Dad I was gay."

"I did not get chosen as captain of the debate team."

Scars for being bullied.

For disappointing friends.

For grades.

For feeling so completely alone.

For feeling trapped.

Scars just so they could feel something.

They continued like that for a while. Pointing at their cuts and sharing stories of their lives that no one else knew. They remembered everything that brought them to the knife. Delving deep into the emotional hurt they both felt for their parent's behavior. Until Edd paused while pointing out a particularly long line on his arm.

"This one is from the fight with Eddy."

Kevin's mouth twitched in irritation. The fight between Edd and Eddy was a taboo subject among the kids of the neighborhood. No one was quite sure what had happened between the two former friends, but Edd had come out on the raw end of the deal. Eddy pulled Ed away from him, leaving Edd all alone to face whatever tormentors would come at him on any given day.

Edd sighed as he sensed that Kevin was looking for an explanation. "Eddy expressed an interest in dating me after I came out." Kevin raised an eyebrow. That was news. As far as anyone knew Eddy was straight and a total womanizer. "When I told him that I saw him merely as a brother and not romantically he...did not take it well. He refused my company after that."

"Yeah. I've got one of those too." Kevin pointed at a long scar near the joint of his elbow. "I broke up with Nazz when I realized that I was gay. It didn't seem right to keep dating her when I could only ever love her as a sister and nothing else. I don't believe she has forgiven me for that."

"It would seem that we are both more alone than the other realized."

"I guess you're right."

Edd paused again at the last scar he had to define. This one was especially difficult to discuss given the current situation, but he also felt that it would be going against their silent agreement to be 100% open if he did not share it. He sighed heavily and pointed it out to the boy before him. "This one is unrequited love."

Kevin stared at the scar for quite some time. He met Edd's eyes for a minute, before turning his head and showing a small scar on the side of his neck, midway between his jaw and collarbone. It was fairly old and difficult to see in the slight wrinkles that were forming along the skin. Kevin turned to look at Edd again, he gave a small, sad smile. "Unrequited love."

Once again that evening Edd's eyes were wide with shock. The placement of that scar was dangerously close to the jugular vein, stopping just before it could have done any serious damage. Edd lept at Kevin with surprising speed, pinning the jock to the floor by his shoulders. Edd was crying again, shaking uncontrollably as he shouted, "Kevin! What on earth were you thinking?! You could have died!"

Kevin lay stunned, looking at the sobbing teen above him. Tears were falling onto him, but he made no move to wipe them away. He just lay still and allowed Edd to cry and pound his fist weakly onto his chest. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, Kevin!"

As Edd moved to hit Kevin again, the redhead reacted. He drew his arms around Edd's shoulders and forced him down against his chest, holding him in a tight embrace. Edd continued to cry, the thought of losing Kevin was just too painful to deal with. Kevin was his secret crush and the guy who could stand up to anyone and anything. The thought of losing him, of having to live in a world without him, was nearly unbearable.

Kevin held the small teen as he sobbed. He knew it was a stupid decision at the time. He hadn't gone through with it because it was a stupid decision. He'd just felt so alone at the time, and his dad was refusing to accept him for who he was. He still thought that Kevin was just a kid who didn't know anything about what he wanted. That he'd never change. That his crush on the brilliant boy across the street was just a phase.

"Come on, Double D. I'm still here. I won't try anything like that again." Kevin gently maneuvered Edd off of him so that they were lying side by side again. The wind was still howling against the walls of the treehouse, but the inside was calm. Blue eyes shone with tears, staring intently at regretful green.

"You better not. Everything that you do for us, all of us, it numbs the pain I feel. You are the brightest part of my life… I need you."

Kevin smiled. Someone needed him, someone wanted him to stick around. One silent, glistening tear escaped him. He drew Edd back into his arms, holding him close.

"I can't change the past Edd, but if you will stay with me I will never leave you. I promise."

Together, locked in a tight embrace, the two boys road out the storm of the night and their lives.

* * *

Alright, that was the next one. I hope you all enjoyed it. I have a couple songs that I am debating between for the next chapter. Would you guys like a happy story, like chapter one, or another serious story like chapters 2 and 3. Let me know!

Leave your guesses for this chapter's song in the comments and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Cthepolkadots


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey people! So, the last story was based off of the song Remember Everything by Five Finger Death Punch. After taking a step back from this collection and working on my other story, A Virtual Switch, I realized that I was kind of in a horrible head space when I started writing those last two chapters. I especially realized that after I read the reviews you guys had left. Speaking of which, I nearly** ** _DIED_** **when I saw dshell99 had read my stories, holy shit! *Tries not to fangirl all over the place***

 **Moving on, this story is happier. Much happier. No trigger warnings needed!**

 **However this chapter is still rated M, for an adult scene. ;)**

 **Please leave a review on this chapter, even if you have not reviewed any of the other ones. I've never written a love scene before and I REALLY need the feedback to make sure it doesn't suck.**

 **Hope you enjoy and happy guessing!**

* * *

Edd woke up late at night to hear his parents fighting. Again. He wasn't exactly sure what they were fighting over this time. It seemed that nothing was wrong. Work was going well for them both. There weren't any serious financial issues to deal with. Edd was doing well in school, as he always was. They went out on regular date nights. They hosted parties together. The family had gone on a wonderful vacation to Hawaii just last summer. Yet they were still fighting. It didn't make sense.

Edd snuck out of his bedroom and headed to the top of the stairs to hear his parents better. His mother was yelling something about some other woman being a _whore_ and calling his father a _bastard_. Between the shrill screams of his mother, his father was muttering apologies and trying to explain himself for whatever it was that had happened. He was asking for forgiveness. Why didn't his mother just forgive him? He was obviously sorry. Edd didn't understand what was so terrible that he could not be forgiven. Edd closed his eyes and covered his ears, trying to block out the yelling.

When the room finally fell silent, he cautiously let his senses come back. He peeked around the corner of the staircase to see his father in tears. His mother standing firmly in front of the man, hands clenched at her sides.

"I want a divorce." She was calm and her tone suggested that there was no more room for debate. Her word was final. She turned and left, heading to the back of the house.

Edd's father stumbled to the side of the couch and hid his face with his hand. Silent tears were rolling down his cheeks. Edd tiptoed down the stairs to come to his side. He reached a hand out and grabbed the edge of the man's shirt. His father jolted up and looked down at him. His tears were still shining in his eyes, a deep frown on his lips. He reached out to his son and wrapped him into a warm hug.

"I'm sorry Eddward. It's all my fault. I can't fix it." His voice was shaking as he spoke, but his grip around Edd was tight and loving. "Your mother and I both love you _so_ much. No matter what happens, know that to be true."

Edd nodded, but didn't really understand why he was saying all this. His father gave him one last squeeze and then went upstairs, disappearing into the bedroom. Edd hurried out of the room, heading to the back of the house where his mother had gone. He found her sitting in the den. Her hands were clasped together tightly and she was staring out the window lost in thought. She saw Edd as he approached and reached out for him. She took his hands and looked up into his eyes.

"Your father and I are getting divorced, Edd," She said. She looked sad, but also adamant about this statement. "He says he made a mistake, but I can't forget what he's done and I will not forgive him either. It's just not the best idea for us to stay together anymore."

Edd's eyes stung with tears as the truth of the nights events finally started to register with him. "But don't you love each other?" His voice was small, hopeful that this _one_ fact of his life would fix whatever his father had done.

"No. I thought I did once, and maybe he loved me at one time, but not anymore."

Edd nodded in understanding. His parents didn't love each other. They had been faking it for who knows how long. The last few weeks? Years? His entire life? What was the point of staying together for as long as they did if they never loved one another?

His mother sent him to bed that night with a heavy heart and racing mind. He was old enough to understand why people got into relationships and eventually got married. This thing people kept talking about, _love_ , was what made everyone around him attempt to live with one person for the rest of their lives. Yet time and time again he would see people give up on it. Did they ever really love the other? He had so many classmates that had divorced parents. He had just as many classmates that had dated and then broken up with someone.

He sighed as he rolled over in his bed, looking out the window. He could see the stars through the trees that grew outside the front of the house. He'd never felt love for another person before. He deeply cared for Ed and Eddy, but that was more out of friendship than anything else. At one point he believed he had a crush on Nazz, but that quickly faded when they got to middle school. He found that he really just didn't know how to act around her. He spent all of his time with two fairly abrasive boys, and the only other girl he knew was Sarah. Nazz was so gentle and kind all the time he didn't know how to interact with her and he mistook that for romance.

He sighed again and turned to face the ceiling.

 _Maybe love doesn't exist._

The next few years passed uneventfully for Edd. The divorce was finalized at the end of his 7th grade year. He spent the summer with his father in the next city over. At the end of August he returned to Peach Creek to finish middle school with the other Ed's and Jonny. Nazz, Kevin, and Rolf had already moved on to high school. He noticed that he was far more aware of people's relationships now than he had been in the past. Most of 8th grade was spent observing the romantic interactions of his classmates. There were so many instances of close friends trying to date only to ruin the friendship and never speak to each other again. Too many for Eddward to count.

In high school, it only happened more often. Eddy started dating a girl from his english class in the spring of Freshman year, only to have her slap him in the face in front of the whole cafeteria before storming off. The two had seemed so close. Eddy swore up and down that the girl was amazing, that she was everything he wanted. Apparently, she thought he was a dick.

It happened again, at the start of his Sophomore year, with Kevin and Nazz. After _years_ of dancing around the idea that they should date they finally took the chance. They were the perfect couple. The cheerleader and the football star. Best friends since their early years of childhood. It warmed Edd's heart to see them walking the halls together, hand in hand. That had to be true love.

 _Right?_

Yet, something changed just before winter break. The two seemed distant with each other. When asked about what was going on, Kevin would shrug and Nazz would start to cry. They spent all of winter break apart. Refusing to talk to anyone and when school started up again word travelled through the gossip vine that the two had split.

Edd had sighed heavily at the news, "It just goes to show that love never lasts."

Junior year brought about a sudden growth spurt in the nerdy teen. He grew into his long limbs, and the small muscles that he had from years of building scams with the other Ed's became more defined. The girls in his classes started to spend more time talking to him and he couldn't figure out what had them interested in him all of a sudden. He was the same person. They didn't love him, they loved what he looked like. They liked the idea of having the tall, slender genius as their own. It was all _fake_.

He was better off alone.

Still girls continued to throw themselves at him. Eddy told him to just date one and see if he liked her. "It would be a waste not to." Edd felt it would be a waste of _time_ no matter what, but he took his friend's advice anyway and started dating.

By the end of that year, Eddward Vincent had more ex girlfriends than most of the football and baseball team members. It seemed that he had a new girl every week. Each one thinking that they would be able to catch the uncatchable genius. Rumors had spread that he was a _god_ in the bedroom which was why he had so many girlfriends. The news only made him more desirable among his classmates. It was true that he had taken quite a few of his dates to bed. He had thought that maybe a physical relationship was what was missing. Yet love never came to him. He felt _nothing_ for these women, so he stopped trying, and started summer break single.

The week of break Edd found himself with surprising company. Kevin had spotted him while he was on his morning jog.

"Hey Double Dork! What're you doin' out here so early?"

Edd locked eyes with his neighbor, then gave a pointed look down at his own clothing. His workout gear seemed like a fairly obvious answer. He looked back up and rolled his eyes, "Jogging."

Kevin rolled his eyes in return, "No shit, Dork. Why?"

"Why not?"

"Doesn't seem like your thing."

"Who said it wasn't my thing?"

"I dunno. Science?" Kevin laughed as he strolled up to the nerd.

"Yes, well, science also states that in order to maintain a healthy body, one must exercise."

"A'ight, you got the facts, Nerd."

Edd rolled his eyes once more. Kevin's complete disregard for grammar used to be extremely annoying. Years of correcting the jock proved fruitless, so he just did his best to ignore it. "Indeed. What are _you_ doing awake at such an early hour?"

"Eh, Pops wants me to mow the lawn. Better to do it now than when it gets hot as balls out here."

Edd shuddered slightly, "Charming."

He turned to leave and finish his jog, when Kevin's hand caught his elbow. "Hey, do you want to, like, chill or something later?"

Edd stared for a second, "Chill?"

"Yeah, ya know, hang out and whatnot."

"With you?"

"No, Dork, with my mom."

Another eyeroll, "I suppose that I will be available for that."

"Choice. I'll catch ya later then."

With that, the two jogged off, going their separate ways. Edd set out across the playground, heading for the neighborhood next to the cul-de-sac. The morning air was starting to warm, causing a light sweat to run down the back of his neck. As he left the neighborhood and got closer to the high school he could see that the girl's track team happened to be out that morning as well. He quickly turned around to head back home, but the high pitched squeals that cut through the air let him know it was too late. They had spotted him. He had dated a few of the girls that were on the team, so he gave a polite wave and suppressed the need to roll his eyes as the group tittered about his presence.

Did Kevin get this kind of attention from his classmates? The redhead was fairly popular due to his involvement in sports and being class president. He didn't come close to Edd academic wise, but he was still in the upper tier of class rank. Really, Edd thought that the guy would be a way better option for these frivolous girl's affections. Not that it would matter. The chance of a relationship actually lasting seemed minimal at best.

His thoughts wandered until he had circled back to his house. Kevin was just finishing the front lawn when he returned. The jock turned off the mower and called Edd over, "Want to go for a swim? It'll help us both cool down."

"That sounds acceptable. I'll return momentarily."

Edd met Kevin at his garage, gym shorts exchanged for a pair of tight fitting swim trunks and a towel draped over his shoulders. The two went through the backdoor of the garage and into Kevin's backyard. The Barr family had installed the pool a couple of years ago with the Christmas bonus Mr. Barr had received. Since then, Kevin had hosted many a cul-de-sac party.

While Kevin went inside to grab his own towel, Edd stripped himself of his sweaty shirt and dove in. The water felt frigid against his overheated skin, but evened out as he floated. He was interrupted as he felt the water shift when Kevin jumped in.

"So, Double D, any fun plans for the break?"

"None at present," Edd drifted over to where the ginger was leaning against the steps. "My father expressed an interest in my spending the summer with him again, but as this is my last year before college, I believe I would prefer to stay in town. It is unlikely that I will have another opportunity to spend time with Ed and Eddy."

"Yeah, I know whatcha mean. Hard to believe this is my last summer break, huh?"

Edd sighed, "It does seem quite sudden."

"Plans for college?"

"I'll be dual majoring in biology and chemistry. Mother has recommended my joining her in her genome research."

"Aaaand that's what you wanna do?" Kevin cocked a brow at him.

Edd tilted his head slightly as he answered, "It seems an adequate future."

Kevin moved to stand in front of Edd. He gripped the edge of the pool on either side of the slender teen, trapping him between toned arms. "That's not what I asked, Dork."

Edd stared into green eyes. What business was it of Kevin's if he wanted to go into research or not? It would be entertaining enough for his mind, his mother would be happy about it, and the job offered enough solitude that he would not have to deal with senseless, chatty girls anymore. He could be content with that. "I feel that I will be most comfortable in a job that doesn't have too many social interactions."

"You want to work in a box and never talk to anyone?" Kevin asked incredulously, "You're Peach Creek's number one stud!"

Edd pushed Kevin's arm out of the way to head towards the steps, "I did not ask to be." He collected his things and left.

He had made it halfway across the street when Kevin caught up to him, gripping his arm loosely to stop his retreat. "Edd. What's up with you man? You've been acting so weird lately."

"I don't know what you are referring to."

"Bullshit. You've been acting like some brooding emo since the start of high school. I've actually seen you _glaring_ at people. What gives?"

Edd was silent, still facing away from the redhead. He heaved a sigh and looked off down the street. "Do you think love actually exists?" His voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"Course it does," Kevin tilted his head in confusion. Where was the dork going with this?

"Can you prove it?" Edd still wouldn't turn to face him.

Kevin tugged the slender teen's arm, pulling him around gently. Concerned green eyes stared into hopeless blue depths, "Do you want me to?"

Edd thought about that for a moment, focusing his gaze at the ground. He'd done plenty of research on matters of love. He'd observed countless couples from school trying and failing in love over and over. The girls that he had been with were never interested in loving him. They all seemed incapable of such an emotion. They just wanted to _own_ him, to prove themselves better than their peers in some way. Some just wanted to use him for sex. Then there was what happened to his parents. What could Kevin offer to this that he had not already experienced?

Still…

"Yes."

Kevin nodded sharply, "A'ight then. Come to dinner next week, Tuesday." With that, he turned and left the discouraged teen in the middle of the road, utterly confused.

Tuesday dinner turned out to be a family affair with Kevin's parents. Eddward had never felt so uncomfortable in his entire life. The Barr's were a rowdy bunch, talking loudly with each other and laughing about things that had occured at family events long ago. The continuously tried to drag Edd into their conversations, asking him questions about things he had done when he was younger or dreams he had for his future. By the end of dinner he had no idea why he had been invited over. The event had nothing to do with love as far as he could tell.

He was in the foyer, lacing up his shoes when Kevin appeared in front of him, "Kev-"

The redhead caught Edd's mouth with his hand and brought a finger to his lips. He motioned for Edd to follow and quietly led the way back towards the kitchen where his parents were cleaning up after dinner. He pointed through the doorway to where his parents were. Edd peered around the doorway to see Mr. and Mrs. Barr hip to hip swaying together to unheard music as they washed and dried dishes. Every now and then Kevin's mom would look up and smile at her husband, her eyes were dancing with affection. He would return the look with a grin and bump his hip into hers before going back to washing.

Edd watching curiously for a minute before Kevin caught his attention, pulling him from the scene. "They'll have been married for 22 years next month," Kevin smiled. "Every Tuesday they do dishes together like that. I'm not sure what started the tradition, but you can see that they are still head over heels for each other."

"What's your point, Kevin?" Edd didn't understand why the redhead thought this proved anything.

"That's love, Dork," Kevin poked him firmly in the head.

That was love? Doing dishes together? Edd shook his head and moved back to his shoes. "Thank you for dinner, but I should be going now." He opened the door and stepped out into the warm air of the evening.

Kevin followed him, leaning against the doorway, "Are you busy this Friday?"

Edd scrolled through his mental schedule, "I do not believe I have anything scheduled as of this moment."

"Choice, let's go to town. See you at noon." Kevin turned and closed the door, leaving Edd to stand there wondering what else his neighbor had planned.

The "plan" turned out to be sitting in the city park by the fountain. The sun was unbearably hot that day and Edd was frustrated that they had been sitting on a bench doing nothing but lightly chatting for the last hour. Every time he would ask why they were there, Kevin would say they were just waiting and would ask him some question about his life. So far Kevin had found that Edd preferred fall over spring, his favorite color was a dark blue similar to the night sky, his favorite animal was the glass frog, whatever that was, and he hates brussel sprouts.

Whenever Kevin would ask a question, he'd get Edd's answer and then start a lengthy speech about his own. He liked summer because the weather was warm and there were so many places to go. He could hang out outside, go to the beach, take hikes, whatever he wanted. His favorite color was red because of the hat his grandpa had given him as a gift when he was five. He talked a lot about his grandpa, and how great of a man he was. His favorite animal was a red panda, because they were red and looked like _super_ fluffy fox-raccoons. Edd laughed at his answer, thinking the teen was ridiculous for choosing a favorite that way. He hated all vegetables, but would eat them anyway because his mom would make him. Usually he smothered them in ketchup or cheese. Edd pointed out how unhealthy that was, Kevin just rolled his eyes, "Yes, _Mom_."

By the time the next hour went by, Edd was ready to leave Kevin alone on the bench and make his way home. They could sit and talk about whatever asinine topics the redhead could come up with back in the cul-de-sac. They certainly didn't need to do this being baked to a crisp in the afternoon sun. Just as he was ready to announce his decision, Kevin slapped at his arm softly and nodded his head towards the fountain.

Edd followed his gaze to where a man stood pacing near the rim of the large stone structure. He was looking around anxiously, and checking his watch. He looked like he was late for a meeting of some sort. So they were here to see a man act stressed out? Edd quirked a brow and looked back at Kevin who just jerked his head back at the man.

Grumbling, the genius turned his head to see a woman walk towards the pacing man. A large smile spread across the guy's face as he drew the lady into a hug. They chatted for a bit before he directed her to sit at the edge of the fountain and kneeled before her. More words were exchanged before he reached into his pocket for a ring box. The woman was crying and smiling, nodding her head vigorously before throwing herself at the man knocking them both to the ground. They laughed and kissed, holding each other close.

Edd turned back to see Kevin watching him intently. "Marriage does not mean that love is real. From my own experience I can say that marriage most definitely does not prove anything."

"Come on, man. Look how happy they are together! They obviously love each other."

Edd narrowed his eyes slightly, "They do now, but what about in the future?"

Kevin chuckled, "You're such a downer. Let's go."

And so it went.

Every week, Kevin would take Edd around town to see people displaying their love for one another. They went to the mall to see teenage couples walking around hand in hand.

Restaurants to watch couples dine together, then leave arm in arm.

Movies to see people wrapped up in one another's embrace, snuggled close.

To the beach to see couples run around in the sand before falling down together, eyes locked in looks of complete adoration.

One week, Kevin brought Edd to the cemetery. They walked through the graves, chatting as they always did whenever Kevin took Edd on any of these outings. The stopped in the shade of a tree on a hill, looking out at the headstones. Kevin pointed at an old man walking slowly through the grass with a single lily in his hands. He stopped at a headstone and stood there for a while before placing the flower at the base and leaving. The ginger shrugged off the tree and moved through the graves to where the man had been. He signaled Edd over to read the stone. Carved into the granite was a woman's name and underneath read "Beloved Mother, Cherished Sister, Adored Wife". She had passed away nearly ten years ago.

"Love carries on, even in death, Edd. He didn't have to come here, but he wants to remind her that she will always be his, and he will _always_ be hers." He wandered away, leaving Edd to decide if this was enough proof.

Edd found him much later, standing before a gravestone with Barr written across it. Underneath was the birth and death date for one Michael Barr, Kevin's grandpa. He had died only two years ago. Edd stood in silence behind the redhead, watching as he stared at the granite marker before him. Kevin reached out a shaking hand and patted the top of the stone, before walking off motioning for Edd to follow him.

Kevin didn't visit Edd again for two weeks. The nerd was starting to worry that Kevin had grown tired of hanging out with him. Usually Kevin would be by early in the day to check Edd's schedule, plan a time to go out, and then drag him all over town for whatever "proof" he was going to show him that day. At the end of another day with no sign of Kevin, Edd took the initiative and stomped his way across the street to the redhead's house.

Kevin looked shocked to see him standing on the porch, but invited him in anyway. "What's up, Dork?"

"Where have you been?" Edd crossed his arms and looked the other over from head to toe. He didn't seem to have any injuries or other ailments that would have prevented him from coming over as he usually did.

"Oh," Kevin looked away and scratched at the back of his neck. "I was packing for college."

Edd's heart skipped a beat. Of course. Kevin was a year ahead of him in school, he would be leaving soon to move into his dorm room. "Oh," Edd couldn't think of anything to say.

An awkward silence punctuated the room. Kevin still wouldn't meet those blue eyes that continued to stare at him, lost in thought. "Y-yeah… I-uh-leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Edd's voice cracked slightly.

"Yeah…"

Edd's heart was racing, his mind a complete blur. Why didn't Kevin tell him that he was leaving so soon? Hadn't they gotten closer over the summer? Didn't he _deserve_ to know this kind of thing?

Why did he _care_ so much?

A strong hand around his wrist brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Kevin standing close to him, green eyes flickering back and forth. Ever so slowly, Kevin ran his fingers up Edd's arm until he was cupping his cheek. His gaze never left Edd's as he guided Edd's lips to his own.

The kiss was like a shock to his system. Edd couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't do anything; except kiss Kevin with everything he had. His hands rose from his sides to grip firmly behind Kevin's neck and shoulder. He pulled the redhead in closer, turning his head to the side as he darted his tongue out to taste the lips before him. Kevin's mouth opened to accept him and their tongues danced together as they each explored. Edd lost himself in the kiss until he felt his back hit the wall behind him.

He gasped out quietly, opening his eyes to search Kevin's face before the redhead claimed his lips again. Hands roamed his body, painting invisible fire across his nerves as Kevin pushed a knee between his legs and brought them closer together. His hips twitched forward against the front of Kevin's thigh, rubbing deliciously. He hummed in approval, sliding his hands down Kevin's back to grip two of his belt loops and force him closer. Kevin growled low in his throat and placed his hands over Edd's hips. He squeezed, then quickly dipped lower and grabbed Edd's thighs, pulling him up and away from the wall.

Edd moaned as his cock slid against the toned abs between his legs. He moved his hands back to Kevin's face, holding him to his lips as Kevin took them quickly upstairs to his room. The kiss finally broke when Kevin tossed him onto the bed. Green eyes roamed over his body glinting dangerously with want. Edd shivered slightly and reached out for Kevin to come back to him. He craved the other's body heat, needing to feel that warmth pressed against him again.

Two toned legs straddled his waist and Kevin brought their lips together again. Their tongues wrestled together as their hands explored under shirts and into pants. Their clothes formed a pile on the floor, leaving both teens bare, wrapped in each other's arms. Edd moaned loudly as Kevin dragged his fingers down his chest, making sure to catch his nipples as he made his way to Edd's throbbing member.

He circled the head with his index finger, letting the tip catch on the webbing of his fingers as he teased the soft skin. Precum coated his digit and spread across Edd's cock. The slender teen thrust forward into Kevin's palm as the teasing continued. His breath caught in is throat when the redhead draped his other fingers around him, cradling the tip in the pocket his hand formed. Gasps and soft moans filled the room as Kevin pushed against the head of Edd's dick, his fingers dancing along the shaft.

Edd's head was thrown back against the pillows, eyes closed, mouth open, letting Kevin play an uneven rhythm around his shaft. The warmth of Kevin's hand disappeared only to be quickly replaced the wet heat of a tongue. Edd cried out in pleasured surprise as Kevin's mouth enveloped him.

"Kevin…" Edd moaned and thrusted again. Kevin hummed in response, eliciting another loud moan from the teen below him.

Kevin lashed his tongue across the vein that pulsed along the length in his mouth. He listened to the desperate whines coming from the nerd. Everytime Edd moaned particularly loud, he would repeat whatever movement he had just made with his tongue. As Edd's cries increased he sucked hard, and slowly pulled off.

Edd growled at the loss, glaring pleadingly at the redhead. Kevin chuckled, "Be patient. I'll take care of you." He reached to the nightstand pulling out lube and a condom.

Edd's breath hitched in anticipation. He'd never done this before. He knew what was going to happen, he'd heard of what anal sex would be like, but he never thought he would be on the receiving end.

For the first time during this whole thing he paused and thought of what they were doing. Why was Kevin doing this to him? What did it mean? He was enjoying himself, _absolutely_ , but what was Kevin thinking?

"Kevin," Edd's voice was questioning. The jock stopped his movements, his fingers coated in lube hovering between Edd's lean thighs. Blue eyes glazed in lust looked into his own, searching for an answer to an unasked question.

Kevin leaned close, his lips hovering above Edd's. He let his finger circle around Edd's puckered entrance before dipping inside. Edd gasped at the feeling and Kevin covered the open mouth with his own. Tongues danced again as the finger pumped slowly in and out. Edd's face cringed as Kevin pushed another inside, curling and scissoring.

Edd broke their kiss and looked up again, "Kevin?" He closed his eyes when Kevin's fingers twisted inside him. He moaned and gasped, grinding down into the feeling.

"Because," Kevin continued stretching him, pausing his answer while he worked. He ripped the condom open with his free hand and teeth, skillfully rolling it down himself. He kept his fingers moving, searching inside for that bundle of nerves.

Edd suddenly arched his back and groaned. He pushed back desperately into Kevin's hand. He shook his head as he watched Kevin move into position between his legs, "B-because?"

The fingers slipped out. A throbbing heat pushed gently, but firmly, where they had once been. Kevin leaned in again, arms bracketing Edd's torso. "Because," he pushed his way inside, feeling the tip slide in to the tight hole. He groaned softly as Edd gasped and grit his teeth. Kevin moved forward until he was hilted inside. He waited until he felt Edd relax around him and did a test thrust that had them both moaning. "Because," he moaned, picking up the pace, "I love you."

Edd's mind felt fuzzy as Kevin moved inside him. He heard the redhead answer, but he couldn't quite grasp the meaning as pleasure flooded his senses. His skin felt hot and sticky. His muscles were tensed as he pushed back against Kevin, taking him deeper. He moaned and gasped as the tight heat in his stomach contracted wonderfully.

Kevin gripped Edd's hips, moving faster as Edd's cries of pleasure filled the room. He stuttered in his pace when Edd screamed as his prostate was hit. He angled himself towards it, thrusting deeply and rolling his hips. He wouldn't last much longer.

Kevin's hand left Edd's hip and slipped it's way to his ignored cock. Kevin started pumping in an erratic tempo. Edd's back arched off the bed into the redhead's touch, "Please! Kevin!" Kevin pounded into his tight ass, his hand moved faster. The heat in his belly tightened unbearably.

Kevin slammed into him one last time, releasing on a groan of his name. The throbbing, rhythmic pulse of Kevin's orgasm against his insides rubbed against his prostate and Edd cried in relief as he felt his own release come.

Kevin held himself up over Edd, panting and shaking. Edd's eyes were closed, breathing just as heavily and letting out little hums of pleasure as he came down from his high. Kevin slipped out, and carefully made his way around the room cleaning up himself and their clothes before returning to Edd and wiping him off.

Edd's eyes fluttered open, the vibrant blue slightly dimmed with exhaustion from their physical activity. He lazily reached a hand out for Kevin and tugged to pull him onto the bed. The two wrapped themselves around each other, letting their heart rates slow and minds relax.

Edd felt his mind drifting to sleep and snuggled closer to the warmth that surrounded him. None of the girls he had slept with would stay long afterwards. They always insisted they needed to get home, or meet friends. Kevin held him tightly, refusing to let any more space than necessary be between them.

Kevin started snoring and Edd couldn't help but laugh. He never would have thought he'd be in this position, wrapped up in his former bully's arms, feeling safe and cared for...

His eyes snapped open.

Kevin said he loved him.

Kevin _loved_ him.

That wasn't possible. How could he love him? It didn't make sense. He hadn't done anything to try and win the redhead's affection. In fact, he spent all summer trying to prove that love _didn't_ exist.

Furthermore, Kevin was going to be leaving first this in the morning to go to school. It had to be a lie. Fake. Just like those girls. Kevin simply wanted to sleep with him just like all his ex's.

Edd pushed against the arms that held him, but even in his sleep Kevin's grip was strong. Edd may have toned out a little bit, but he was nothing compared to the teen that had spent all of high school working out and playing sports. He continued to struggle, hoping to slip free, but Kevin groaned in his sleep and pulled him closer. Edd tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach.

It wasn't _real_ , he'd prove it in the morning.

Kevin's alarm woke them the next day. While he rolled to the side to slap at the snooze button, Edd quickly moved out of his grasp and stumbled out of bed to find his clothes.

"Edd? What are you doing?" Kevin's voice was thick with sleep.

"Leaving," Edd tugged on his pants.

Kevin was wide awake now, "What? Why?"

"You have to get ready to leave for college and I should be returning home."

"Woah, woah, hold on there," Kevin jumped out of bed as well. He tugged on some gym shorts and stopped Edd as he had turned to leave. "Why are you really leaving?"

Edd didn't want to answer. He didn't want to hear the harsh truth. Kevin didn't love him. It didn't exist. It wasn't possible. This whole thing was like a dream, he would wake from this soon and be left with the reality he knew.

Alone again.

"Edd. Don't leave yet." Kevin pulled him back against his chest. His arms circled around the slender teen. Edd's head was hung low, hiding his face. "What's wrong?"

Edd could feel himself trembling. It was going to happen all over again. He'd been used. He'd fallen for another trick. Tried and failed again. How utterly _stupid_ of him.

Kevin's grip around his body tightened. The jock rested his head on Edd's shoulder and kissed his neck. He whispered against his skin, "What's wrong?"

Edd's voice cracked as he spoke, "It's not real."

"What's not real?"

Edd turned suddenly in the arms that held him. His face was red, eyes shimmering with tears, "You can't love me! It's not _real_!"

Kevin pulled him closer, burying Edd's face into the crook of his shoulder. He felt the slender teen sob against him. His hand smoothed over Edd's shaking back, "It _is_ real. I love you."

Edd shook his head, "No."

"Yes. I love you. I've loved you for the last month."

"No!" Edd pounded a fist against Kevin's chest.

Kevin caught Edd's fist as it pulled back to hit him again. He brought it to his lips and kissed every knuckle, whispering I love you between each one. Kevin drew Edd's face away from his shoulder and cupped his cheeks in his hands, "I love you, Eddward." He leaned forward and placed a kiss to Edd's lips.

Edd forced himself free from the jock's hands. He stared into green eyes that were filled with sadness and some other emotion that Edd couldn't place. He quickly composed himself and looked away, refusing to face the redhead, "You're leaving today. You say that you love me, but you're leaving today." His voice became steady once again and he looked back in anger, "You can't prove you love me because you're leaving! It's not real, and you can't _prove_ it!"

Kevin leaned down and scooped his hat off the floor from where Edd had thrown it last night. He walked forward and tugged Edd's beanie off his head. Edd made a noise of protest as his curly hair came loose from his hat, but was silenced when the red baseball cap was pulled down over his eyes.

Strong arms pulled him close. Kevin's hand cradled the back of his head while the other kept him pressed to a warm torso. "You're right, I'm leaving," Kevin's voice rumbled against him. "But I'm gonna come back. I'm gonna come back to you, because I _love_ you. I love you, and I love my hat, and I'm gonna leave it with you to prove that I will come back to you. I'll always come back for the things I love."

Edd couldn't think of anything to say. Kevin's grandpa had given him his hat. It was more important to the redhead than _anything_ else in the whole world. The last piece of a man that Kevin respected and loved. Someone who was family. He was going to leave it with him. This was Kevin's _proof_. Kevin loved him more than he loved his hat.

Maybe that was something that Edd could believe in.

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 **Not a super fluffy ending, but it's happy for sure! I had the worst time trying to write the sex scene. I'll be focusing on A Virtual Switch after this. Expect that chapter in the next few weeks, after the holidays.**

 **Leave your guess for the song in the comments.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Cthepolkadots**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! That last chapter was probably my favorite of all of the short stories I have written so far. It was based off of Only Exception by Paramore. I know I can really relate to how Edd felt in that story, as can most people that have ever fallen in love. Seems like such a fantasy, doesn't it?**

 **This story is to try my hand at writing Rev Kevedd. I've always enjoyed that universe for how it can be realistically dark and emotional. Regular Kevedd seems more romcom, Rev is like drama haha. This story isn't dark, but I'm hoping I caught a decent amount of the character's personalities in it. The universe belongs to Asphyxion. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Dedicated to Dshell99. Preach on!**

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Usually there was a routine to the nights that he went out to the club. He'd get a couple drinks, dance with strangers, and more often than not, when the DJ left, so did he. On extremely rare occasions, he would find someone that he deemed acceptable to go home with, but he never exchanged phone numbers and seldom even gave out his name. Nicknames were more his style anyway. Besides, he had a scholarship to keep. He couldn't ruin that by getting caught in anything _overly nosy_ people might consider unsavory.

The bartenders knew him. He was a regular despite the distance between the club and his university. He chose this place initially for that reason alone, and stayed because it was just so damn fun. Here, he didn't have to be Eddward Rockwell, feared swim captain and resident genius. Here, he could be whoever he wanted, because no one would _ever_ know the difference.

So color Eddward surprised when he catches the eye of Kevin Anderson. The boy had started that past year and made quite the splash with the college papers. He had graduated high school early and had been accepted to the university at the ripe age of 16. The engineering department had been ecstatic to have him enroll. They were even more impressed when he announced he was double majoring in computer science.

His usual outfit of a sweater and khakis had been exchanged for a tight fitting tank top that was peeking through the top three, undone buttons of a collared shirt and a pair of snug jeans that accented all the best features on the slim boy. Even more surprising was that red cap of his was missing. Kevin's hair was loose and styled slightly so his long bangs were kept out of his eyes.

And those eyes were fixed on Eddward.

Seeing someone he knew from school at the club was shocking enough, but this particular place was 21 and older only. How did the kid get in here?

Eddward was pulled from his thoughts when a finger tapped against his arm.

"Hey. I didn't expect to see anyone from our school here." Kevin smiled up at him. He noticed the bottle of pumpkin cider in the redhead's other hand.

 _Underage_ _drinking…great_. Eddward rolled his eyes, "Yes, let's keep it that way."

"Oh, come on, Eddw-"

" _Ah_. No names. I am well known here, and _you_ shouldn't be here. I would rather not be associated with lawbreakers."

Kevin laughed and playfully smacked at the swimmer's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Don't you worry."

"May I inquire how you even got in here, and purchased alcohol, no less?"

He shrugged, "My buddy Nat got me a fake. I wanted a night out."

"Of course he did… Well, _Pumpkin_ , it's been lovely, but I'll be going now."

Eddward turned to leave, but Kevin caught him by the arm, "Wanna dance?"

The older boy stared for a second. The kid had guts, he'd give him that. Not many people would come straight up to him, knowing who he is. Even fewer would have the balls to ask him to dance. Plus, he was cute, and dancing was harmless…

He smirked down at the little redhead, "Alright. Let's see if you can keep up."

Eddward dragged Kevin to the dance floor as the redhead quicky chugged the rest of his drink and placed the bottle on an empty table they passed. The current song was a heavy techno number with the bass pounding loudly through the speakers. Edd quickly found the beat and started rocking and jumping with the music, leaving the younger boy to figure out what to do.

To his amazement, Kevin was right there with him, jumping in sync to the beat and flashing Edd a big smile. He chuckled to himself and continued dancing as the song transitioned to one that was slightly slower. He felt Kevin move closer to him and looked down to see the kid's back only a few inches from his chest. Edd smiled and decided to humor him by placing his hands on Kevin's hips and dragging him closer so they could dance and sway together to the music.

Kevin turned his head to look back at his dance partner. His eyes were flashing with the colors of the overhead lights, but the intensity of the stare was enough to make Edd grin as a tingle ran through his stomach. This boy knew what he was doing, but two can play at that game.

Edd leaned down so his lips were right next to Kevin's ear and whispered, "Enjoying yourself?"

He could feel Kevin's hum of approval as his breath played along the inside of the other's ear. Then the redhead upped his game by going from swaying and bouncing to the music to full on _grinding_ against Edd. Eddward smiled at his attempt and simply put his hands back on his hips to push him away again. Kevin pouted, and he laughed, "Take it easy, Pumpkin. Better slow down."

But the teasing didn't stop. Kevin would _accidently_ sway to close and brush against the front of Edd's pants. His hands would linger too long on the swimmer's arms when they knocked together while dancing. His smile turned to a sexy smirk that he would throw over his shoulder whenever Edd initiated _any_ contact, intentional or otherwise.

The music slowed again to a rather sensual piece. Kevin spun himself around so they were now facing each other and wrapped his hands securely around Eddward's lean waist. Eddward's breath hitched slightly as the redhead brought their hips together and forced him into a slow, grinding sway. This kid was getting carried away.

Edd leaned down again to whisper in his ear, "You're pretty young to be doing this sort of thing, don't you agree?"

Kevin grinned again and whispered right back, "Not really." He accented his point by running his tongue along the shell of Edd's ear and rucking up the tight T-shirt the swimmer was wearing to drag his fingers across the toned muscles of Edd's stomach.

Edd took a deep breath and removed the redhead's hands from his hips before spinning him around. Locking Kevin in a backwards hug with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, he responded, "I can dance with you, Pumpkin, but I'm afraid I can't take a chance with you. You're only a child."

Kevin pouted, an act that did _not_ help convince Eddward that his statement wasn't accurate, "I am not a child."

"You are only 16."

"I'm _17_ , and I'll be 18 in just a few months. My birthday is in the summer."

" _Congratulations,"_ Edd moved away from the redhead and headed towards the bar.

Kevin chased after him, "Hey! I thought we were having fun."

"Were we." It was more of a statement than a question and laced with sarcasm.

The bartender came over and placed Edd's usual in front of him before getting Kevin's order. The swimmer just rolled his eyes as Kevin got another pumpkin cider. Kevin stared at Eddward in defiance as he downed half the bottle. The bottle clanked against the counter loudly when he set it down, "Yeah, we were having fun. You can't deny it."

"I can deny whatever I wish."

"Like the fact that you think I'm hot?"

Eddward choked on his drink as Kevin grinned in victory. This kid was becoming increasingly infuriating, yet Edd didn't want him to leave. He knew his boundaries, and the teasing and flirting was entertaining, besides he wasn't planning on taking anyone home this evening anyway. There was nothing stopping them from just hanging out. However, he couldn't just let Kevin know that.

After composing himself, Eddward turned to face the short boy beside him. Some of the gel had melted out of his hair from their dancing causing his bangs to slowly start drifting back in front of his eyes. His shirt was completely unbuttoned now, revealing the red tank top the clung to him. Honestly, if Kevin was only the same age as himself, if he was even just an _adult_ , Edd would be dragging him to some hotel at that very moment. Seeing as he wasn't, Edd took a deep breath and smirked down at the red head instead.

"Maybe I'm not the one you are actually looking for this evening. I'm sure there are other, less morally abiding people out on the dance floor that would love to take you up on your offer."

Kevin frowned, turning back to his drink. "I'm not looking for just anyone" He muttered quietly.

Eddward quirked an eyebrow at him.

Then sighed.

"I can dance with you. Nothing more."

Green eyes shot in his direction immediately and glowed with unadulterated delight. "Deal!" He chugged the rest of his drink and tugged Eddward back to the dance floor.

They stayed there for the remainder of the night all grinding hips and teasing smiles. Both of them knew that this moment would be over once the night ended, but they had to make the most of it while they could. Eddward couldn't remember the last time he had such an enjoyable evening.

When the club finally announced last call and the DJ signed off with a stereotypical playing of Closing Time, the two left the dance floor to cool off. They sat in a comfortable silence, watching as other couples kissed and hugged goodbye, or left together, practically glued at the hip.

Kevin grinned up at his dance partner, finding Eddward smiling down at him. He punched the swimmer playfully in the arm then hopped to his feet, "I had fun tonight. We should do this again soon."

Edd laughed, "Does your mother know how frequently you sneak out of school and go to clubs illegally?"

He received a laugh in return, "No, but I'm sure she'd be happy to know I was in good hands this evening."

They made their way out of the building. There was an awkward pause as both of them stood together, neither sure what to do after spending the entire evening with the other. Edd finally pulled out a napkin and scribbled something on it. He folded it up and dropped it into Kevin's hand.

"An early birthday present for you, Pumpkin." He chuckled quietly to himself and turned to leave, "Imagine one of those 'don't open until' stickers on it." With that, he disappeared down an alley towards the back parking lot.

Kevin unfolded the napkin to find a phone number and a small drawing of a shark instead of a name. He grinned, pocketed the napkin and headed to his bike. He could wait a few months to go dancing again.

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 **What do you think? It's shorter than my other stories, but I like how it turned out. Leave your comments and song guesses for me and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Cthepolkadots**


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